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Indirect dark matter searches in gamma and cosmic rays

Nature Physics volume 13, pages 224–231 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Dark matter candidates such as weakly interacting massive particles are predicted to annihilate or decay into Standard Model particles, leaving behind distinctive signatures in gamma rays, neutrinos, positrons, antiprotons, or even antinuclei. Indirect dark matter searches, and in particular those based on gamma-ray observations and cosmic-ray measurements, could detect such signatures. Here we review the strengths and limitations of this approach and look into the future of indirect dark matter searches.

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Figure 1: Dark matter candidates indicating the interdependence of the interaction cross-section and particle mass97.
Figure 2: Targets for indirect dark matter searches in the gamma-ray sky.
Figure 3: The current most important constraints on the annihilation cross-section versus WIMP mass.
Figure 4: The present and future search capabilities on spin-independent WIMP-nucleon scattering (adapted from ref. 91).

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Acknowledgements

J.C. is a Wallenberg Academy Fellow.

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  1. Physics Department, Oskar Klein Center, Stockholm University, Roslagstullsbacken 21, Stockholm SE-10691, Sweden

    Jan Conrad

  2. Institute for Astro- and Particle Physics, Innsbruck University, Technikerstrasse 25/8, Innsbruck 6020, Austria

    Olaf Reimer

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Conrad, J., Reimer, O. Indirect dark matter searches in gamma and cosmic rays. Nature Phys 13, 224–231 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys4049

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