Dark Matter Search in Dwarf Irregular Galaxies with Ten Years of Data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory

Abstract

Dwarf irregular galaxies (dIrrs), as rotationally supported systems, have more reliable J-factor measurements than dwarf spheroidal galaxies and have received attention as targets for dark matter detection in recent years. In this paper, we use 10 yr of IceCube muon-track data and an unbinned maximum-likelihood-ratio method to search for neutrino signals beyond the background from the directions of seven dIrrs, aiming to detect neutrinos produced by heavy annihilation dark matter. We do not detect any significant signal. Based on such null results, we calculate the upper limits on the velocity-averaged annihilation cross section for 1 TeV–10 PeV dark matter. Our limits, although weaker than the strictest constraints in the literature in this mass range, are also a good complement to the existing results considering the more reliable J-factor measurements of dIrrs.