Fermi Galactic Center Research Articles

Applying simulation-based inference to spectral and spatial information from the Galactic Center gamma-ray excess

The two most favored explanations of the Fermi Galactic Center gamma-ray excess (GCE) are millisecond pulsars and self annihilation of the smooth dark matter halo of the galaxy. In order to distinguish between these possibilities, we would like to optimally use all information in the available data, including photon direction and energy information.To date, analyses of the GCE have generally treated directional and energy information separately, or have ignored one or the other completely.Here, we develop a method for analyzing the GCE that relies on simulation-basedinference with neural posterior models to jointly analyze photon directional and spectral information while correctly accounting for the spatial and energy resolution of the telescope, here assumed to be the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT).Our results also have implications for analyses of the diffuse gamma-ray background, which we discuss.

Dark matter or millisecond pulsars? A deep learning-based analysis of the Fermi Galactic Centre Excess

The \gammaγ-ray Galactic Centre Excess (GCE) remains one of the few observed high-energy signals for which a dark matter (DM) origin is a plausible explanation. We present a deep learning-based analysis of the \gammaγ-ray sky in the Galactic Centre region, carefully accounting for the mathematical degeneracy between faint point-sources (PSs) such as millisecond pulsars (MSPs) and DM-like Poisson emission. Using recent models for the Galactic foregrounds, we find that relatively few bright PSs just below Fermi’s detection threshold seem unlikely to explain the GCE, although we continue to find evidence for PSs. Looking ahead, further improvements in the modelling of the \gammaγ-ray sky will be crucial for distinguishing between a DM-like and point-like morphology of the signal.

Cherenkov Telescope Array sensitivity to the putative millisecond pulsar population responsible for the Galactic Centre excess

ABSTRACT The leading explanation of the Fermi Galactic Centre γ-ray excess is the extended emission from an unresolved population of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in the Galactic bulge. Such a population would, along with the prompt γ-rays, also inject large quantities of electrons/positrons (e±) into the interstellar medium. These e± could potentially inverse-Compton (IC) scatter ambient photons into γ-rays that fall within the sensitivity range of the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). In this article, we examine the detection potential of CTA to this signature by making a realistic estimation of the systematic uncertainties on the Galactic diffuse emission model at TeV-scale γ-ray energies. We forecast that, in the event that e± injection spectra are harder than E−2, CTA has the potential to robustly discover the IC signature of a putative Galactic bulge MSP population sufficient to explain the Galactic Centre excess for e± injection efficiencies in the range of ≈2.9–74.1 per cent, or higher, depending on the level of mismodelling of the Galactic diffuse emission components. On the other hand, for spectra softer than E−2.5, a reliable CTA detection would require an unphysically large e± injection efficiency of ${\gtrsim} 158{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. However, even this pessimistic conclusion may be avoided in the plausible event that MSP observational and/or modelling uncertainties can be reduced. We further find that, in the event that an IC signal were detected, CTA can successfully discriminate between an MSP and a dark matter origin for the radiating e±.

A potentially detectable gamma-ray line in the Fermi Galactic center excess \u2014 in light of one-step cascade annihilations of secluded (vector) dark matter via the Higgs portal

We show the presence of a potentially detectable gamma-ray line in the Fermi Galactic center excess in light of the secluded (vector) dark matter (DM) model in which the hidden scalar, nearly degenerate with DM in mass, mediates the interaction of the secluded DM with the Standard Model (SM) due to its mixing with the SM Higgs. We find that the parameter region mX ∈ [60, 132] GeV can provide a good fit to the Fermi Galactic center gamma-ray excess spectrum, appearing a prominent gamma-ray line with the energy ∈ [30, 66] GeV. The best fit gives mX ≃ mS≃ 86 GeV with a p-value = 0.42, so that the resultant gamma-ray line, arising from the decay of the scalar mediator into γγ, peaks at 43 GeV. We derive constraints on the annihilation cross section from the Fermi- LAT gamma-ray line search, gamma-ray observations of the Fermi-LAT dwarf spheroidal galaxies, and Planck cosmic microwave background measurement. For the secluded vector DM model, the parameter space constrained by the current XENON1T and future LUX- ZEPLIN is shown. Finally, for the mixing angle between the Higgs sectors, we discuss its lower bound, which is required by the big bang nucleosynthesis constraint and relevant to the hidden sector decoupling temperature.

Searching for dark photon dark matter with cosmic ray antideuterons

Low energy antideuteron detection presents a unique channel for indirect detection, targeting dark matter that annihilates into hadrons in a relatively background-free way. Since the idea was first proposed, many WIMP-type models have already been disfavored by direct detection experiments, and current constraints indicate that any thermal relic candidates likely annihilate through some hidden sector process. In this paper, we show that cosmic ray antideuteron detection experiments represent one of the best ways to search for hidden sector thermal relic dark matter, and in particular investigate a vector portal dark matter that annihilates via a massive dark photon. We find that the parameter space with thermal relic annihilation and {m}_{chi }>{m}_{Aprime}underset{sim }{>} 20 GeV is largely unconstrained, and near future antideuteron experiment GAPS will be able to probe models in this space with mχ ≈ mA′ up to masses of O (100 GeV). Specifically the dark matter models favored by the Fermi Galactic center excess is expected to be detected or constrained at the 5(3) −σ level assuming a optimistic (conservative) propagation model.

Molecular Ionization Rates and Ultracompact Dark Matter Minihalos.

Molecular ionization in the central molecular zone of our Galaxy is enhanced over the typical galactic value by an order of magnitude or more. This cannot be easily explained for dense Galactic center molecular complexes in the absence of embedded sources of low energy cosmic rays. We provide such a source in the form of ultracompact minihalos of self-annihilating dark matter for a variety of annihilation channels that depend on the particle mass and model. Such sources are motivated for plausible inflationary power spectrum parameters, and while possibly subdominant in terms of the total dark matter mass within the Galactic bulge, might also account for, or at least not be in tension with, the Fermi Galactic center γ-ray excess.

Galactic binaries can explain the Fermi Galactic centre excess and 511 keV emission

The Fermi-LAT Galactic Center excess and the 511 keV positron-annihilation signal from the inner Galaxy bare a striking morphological similarity. We propose that both can be explained through a scenario in which millisecond pulsars produce the Galactic Center excess and their progenitors, low-mass X-ray binaries, the 511 keV signal. As a proof-of-principle we study a specific population synthesis scenario from the literature involving so-called ultracompact X-ray binaries. Moreover, for the first time, we quantitatively show that neutron star, rather than black hole, low-mass X-ray binaries can be responsible for the majority of the positrons. In this particular scenario binary millisecond pulsars can be both the source of the Fermi-LAT $\gamma$-ray excess and the bulge positrons. Future avenues to test this scenario are discussed.

Dark matter substructure cannot explain properties of the Fermi Galactic Centre excess

An excess of gamma rays has been identified at the centre of the Milky Way, and annihilation of dark matter has been posited as a potential source. This hypothesis faces significant challenges: difficulty characterizing astrophysical backgrounds, the need for a non-trivial adiabatic contraction of the inner part of the Milky Way's dark matter halo, and recent observations of photon clustering, which suggest that the majority of the excess is due to unresolved point sources. Here we point out that the apparent point-like nature of the emission rules out the dark matter interpretation of the excess entirely. Attempting to model the emission with dark matter point sources either worsens the problem with the inner slope, requires an unrealistically large minihalo fraction toward the Galactic Centre, or overproduces the observed emission at higher latitudes.

Indirect detection of neutrino portal dark matter

We investigate the feasibility of the indirect detection of dark matter in a simple model using the neutrino portal. The model is very economical, with right-handed neutrinos generating neutrino masses through the Type-I seesaw mechanism and simultaneously mediating interactions with dark matter. Given the small neutrino Yukawa couplings expected in a Type-I seesaw, direct detection and accelerator probes of dark matter in this scenario are challenging. However, dark matter can efficiently annihilate to right-handed neutrinos, which then decay via active-sterile mixing through the weak interactions, leading to a variety of indirect astronomical signatures. We derive the existing constraints on this scenario from Planck cosmic microwave background measurements, Fermi dwarf spheroidal galaxies and Galactic Center gamma-rays observations, and Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer - 02 antiprotons observations, and also discuss the future prospects of Fermi and the Cherenkov Telescope Array. Thermal annihilation rates are already being probed for dark matter lighter than about 50 GeV, and this can be extended to dark matter masses of 100 GeV and beyond in the future. This scenario can also provide a dark matter interpretation of the Fermi Galactic Center gamma ray excess, and we confront this interpretation with other indirect constraints. Finally we discuss some of the exciting implications of extensions of the minimal model with large neutrino Yukawa couplings and Higgs portal couplings.

SkyFACT: high-dimensional modeling of gamma-ray emission with adaptive templates and penalized likelihoods

We present SkyFACT (Sky Factorization with Adaptive Constrained Templates), a new approach for studying, modeling and decomposing diffuse gamma-ray emission. Like most previous analyses, the approach relies on predictions from cosmic-ray propagation codes like GALPROP and DRAGON. However, in contrast to previous approaches, we account for the fact that models are not perfect and allow for a very large number (≳ 105) of nuisance parameters to parameterize these imperfections. We combine methods of image reconstruction and adaptive spatio-spectral template regression in one coherent hybrid approach. To this end, we use penalized Poisson likelihood regression, with regularization functions that are motivated by the maximum entropy method. We introduce methods to efficiently handle the high dimensionality of the convex optimization problem as well as the associated semi-sparse covariance matrix, using the L-BFGS-B algorithm and Cholesky factorization. We test the method both on synthetic data as well as on gamma-ray emission from the inner Galaxy, |ℓ|<90̂ and |b|<20̂, as observed by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. We finally define a simple reference model that removes most of the residual emission from the inner Galaxy, based on conventional diffuse emission components as well as components for the Fermi bubbles, the Fermi Galactic center excess, and extended sources along the Galactic disk. Variants of this reference model can serve as basis for future studies of diffuse emission in and outside the Galactic disk.

The Fermi Galactic Center GeV Excess and Implications for Dark Matter

Abstract The region around the Galactic Center (GC) is now well established to be brighter at energies of a few GeV than what is expected from conventional models of diffuse gamma-ray emission and catalogs of known gamma-ray sources. We study the GeV excess using 6.5 yr of data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope. We characterize the uncertainty of the GC excess spectrum and morphology due to uncertainties in cosmic-ray source distributions and propagation, uncertainties in the distribution of interstellar gas in the Milky Way, and uncertainties due to a potential contribution from the Fermi bubbles. We also evaluate uncertainties in the excess properties due to resolved point sources of gamma rays. The GC is of particular interest, as it would be expected to have the brightest signal from annihilation of weakly interacting massive dark matter (DM) particles. However, control regions along the Galactic plane, where a DM signal is not expected, show excesses of similar amplitude relative to the local background. Based on the magnitude of the systematic uncertainties, we conservatively report upper limits for the annihilation cross-section as a function of particle mass and annihilation channel.

The galactic center excess from ℤ 3 $$ {\mathbb{Z}}_3 $$ scalar semi-annihilations

We investigate the possibility of the Z3 scalar singlet model explaining the Fermi galactic centre excess. We find a good fit to the measured spectral excess in the region where the dark matter mass is comparable to the Higgs and the Higgs portal coupling $\lambda_{HS}\sim 0.04$. This preferred region is consistent with constraints from vacuum stability and current dark matter experiments, and will be discovered or falsified soon by future dark matter direct detection experiment.

Supersymmetry explanation of the Fermi Galactic Center excess and its test at LHC run II

We explore the explanation of the Fermi Galactic Center Excess (GCE) in the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. We systematically consider various experimental constraints including the Dark Matter (DM) relic density, DM direct detection results and indirect searches from dwarf galaxies. We find that, for DM with mass ranging from $30 {\rm GeV}$ to $40 {\rm GeV}$, the GCE can be explained by the annihilation $\chi \chi \to a^\ast \to b \bar{b}$ only when the CP-odd scalar satisfies $m_a \simeq 2 m_\chi$, and in order to obtain the measured DM relic density, a sizable $Z$-mediated contribution to DM annihilation must intervene in the early universe. As a result, the higgsino mass $\mu$ is upper bounded by about 350 GeV. Detailed Monte Carlo simulations on the $3\ell+ E_T^{miss}$ signal from neutralino/chargino associated production at 14-TeV LHC indicate that the explanation can be mostly (completely) excluded at $95\%$ C.L. with an integrated luminosity of 100(200) fb$^{-1}$. We also discuss the implication of possible large $Z$ coupling to DM for the DM-nucleon spin dependent (SD) scattering cross section, and find that although the current experimental bounds on $\sigma^{\rm SD}_p$ is less stringent than the spin independent (SI) results, the future XENON-1T and LZ data may be capable of testing most parts of the GCE-favored parameter region.

When LEP and Tevatron combined with WMAP and XENON100 shed light on the nature of dark matter

Recently, several astrophysical data or would-be signals has been observed in different dark-matteroriented experiments.In each case, one could fit the data at the price of specific nature of the coupling between the Standard Model (SM) particles and a light Dark Matter candidate: hadrophobic(INTEGRAL, PAMELA) or leptophobic (WMAP Haze, dijet anomalies of CDF, FERMI Galactic Center observation).In this work, we show that when one takes into account the more recent LEP and Tevatron analysis, a light thermal fermionic Dark Matter (≲10 GeV) that couples to electrons is mainly ruled outif one combines the analysis with WMAP constraints. We also study the special case of scalar dark matter, using a single-photon events simulationto constrain the coupling of dark matter to electron.