Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to a dark matter signal from the Galactic centre

We provide an updated assessment of the power of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) to search for thermally produced dark matter at the TeV scale, via the associated gamma-ray signal from pair-annihilating dark matter particles in the region around the Galactic centre. We find that CTA will open a...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Acharyya, A, Adam, R, Adams, C, Cotter, G, Sarkar, S, Silk, J, Spencer, S
Other Authors: The CTA Consortium
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2021
_version_ 1797106509953368064
author Acharyya, A
Adam, R
Adams, C
Cotter, G
Sarkar, S
Silk, J
Spencer, S
author2 The CTA Consortium
author_facet The CTA Consortium
Acharyya, A
Adam, R
Adams, C
Cotter, G
Sarkar, S
Silk, J
Spencer, S
author_sort Acharyya, A
collection OXFORD
description We provide an updated assessment of the power of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) to search for thermally produced dark matter at the TeV scale, via the associated gamma-ray signal from pair-annihilating dark matter particles in the region around the Galactic centre. We find that CTA will open a new window of discovery potential, significantly extending the range of robustly testable models given a standard cuspy profile of the dark matter density distribution. Importantly, even for a cored profile, the projected sensitivity of CTA will be sufficient to probe various well-motivated models of thermally produced dark matter at the TeV scale. This is due to CTA's unprecedented sensitivity, angular and energy resolutions, and the planned observational strategy. The survey of the inner Galaxy will cover a much larger region than corresponding previous observational campaigns with imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. CTA will map with unprecedented precision the large-scale diffuse emission in high-energy gamma rays, constituting a background for dark matter searches for which we adopt state-of-the-art models based on current data. Throughout our analysis, we use up-to-date event reconstruction Monte Carlo tools developed by the CTA consortium, and pay special attention to quantifying the level of instrumental systematic uncertainties, as well as background template systematic errors, required to probe thermally produced dark matter at these energies.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T07:03:31Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:9d30ba22-4b2b-42ed-9797-b66653c37346
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T07:03:31Z
publishDate 2021
publisher IOP Publishing
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:9d30ba22-4b2b-42ed-9797-b66653c373462022-03-31T14:59:07ZSensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to a dark matter signal from the Galactic centreJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:9d30ba22-4b2b-42ed-9797-b66653c37346EnglishSymplectic ElementsIOP Publishing2021Acharyya, AAdam, RAdams, CCotter, GSarkar, SSilk, JSpencer, SThe CTA ConsortiumWe provide an updated assessment of the power of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) to search for thermally produced dark matter at the TeV scale, via the associated gamma-ray signal from pair-annihilating dark matter particles in the region around the Galactic centre. We find that CTA will open a new window of discovery potential, significantly extending the range of robustly testable models given a standard cuspy profile of the dark matter density distribution. Importantly, even for a cored profile, the projected sensitivity of CTA will be sufficient to probe various well-motivated models of thermally produced dark matter at the TeV scale. This is due to CTA's unprecedented sensitivity, angular and energy resolutions, and the planned observational strategy. The survey of the inner Galaxy will cover a much larger region than corresponding previous observational campaigns with imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. CTA will map with unprecedented precision the large-scale diffuse emission in high-energy gamma rays, constituting a background for dark matter searches for which we adopt state-of-the-art models based on current data. Throughout our analysis, we use up-to-date event reconstruction Monte Carlo tools developed by the CTA consortium, and pay special attention to quantifying the level of instrumental systematic uncertainties, as well as background template systematic errors, required to probe thermally produced dark matter at these energies.
spellingShingle Acharyya, A
Adam, R
Adams, C
Cotter, G
Sarkar, S
Silk, J
Spencer, S
Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to a dark matter signal from the Galactic centre
title Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to a dark matter signal from the Galactic centre
title_full Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to a dark matter signal from the Galactic centre
title_fullStr Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to a dark matter signal from the Galactic centre
title_full_unstemmed Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to a dark matter signal from the Galactic centre
title_short Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to a dark matter signal from the Galactic centre
title_sort sensitivity of the cherenkov telescope array to a dark matter signal from the galactic centre
work_keys_str_mv AT acharyyaa sensitivityofthecherenkovtelescopearraytoadarkmattersignalfromthegalacticcentre
AT adamr sensitivityofthecherenkovtelescopearraytoadarkmattersignalfromthegalacticcentre
AT adamsc sensitivityofthecherenkovtelescopearraytoadarkmattersignalfromthegalacticcentre
AT cotterg sensitivityofthecherenkovtelescopearraytoadarkmattersignalfromthegalacticcentre
AT sarkars sensitivityofthecherenkovtelescopearraytoadarkmattersignalfromthegalacticcentre
AT silkj sensitivityofthecherenkovtelescopearraytoadarkmattersignalfromthegalacticcentre
AT spencers sensitivityofthecherenkovtelescopearraytoadarkmattersignalfromthegalacticcentre