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Constraining Super-Heavy Dark Matter with the KM3-230213A Neutrino Event

Roberto Aloisio, Antonio Ambrosone, Carmelo Evoli

TL;DR

The paper tackles constraining super-heavy dark matter decay using the KM3-230213A 220 TeV-scale neutrino event by building a global likelihood that combines galactic and extragalactic neutrino fluxes with gamma-ray upper limits and non-detections from IceCube and Auger. It models SHDM-induced fluxes for the channels $\chi \rightarrow \nu \bar{\nu}$ and $\chi \rightarrow b \bar{b}$, accounts for Galactic Center visibility and extragalactic propagation, and uses a Poisson plus Gaussian penalty framework to enforce multi-messenger constraints. The analysis yields the strongest SHDM lifetime bounds to date, with $\tau_\chi \gtrsim 5 \times 10^{29}$–$10^{30}$ s for $M_\chi$ in $10^{7}$–$10^{17}$ GeV, and demonstrates that gamma-ray channels often drive the constraints. The work also highlights the pivotal role of galactic neutrino flux measurements and forecasts that upcoming detectors (e.g., KM3NeT/ARCA, IceCube-Gen2) and ultra-high-energy gamma-ray observatories will sharpen SHDM tests, potentially ruling out or tightly constraining hadronic decay scenarios.

Abstract

Recently, the KM3NeT collaboration detected an astrophysical neutrino event, KM3-230213A, with an energy of approximately $220~\rm PeV$, providing unprecedented insights into the ultra-high-energy Universe. In this study, we introduce a novel likelihood framework designed to leverage this event to constrain the properties of super-heavy dark matter (SHDM) decay. Our approach systematically integrates multi-messenger constraints from galactic and extragalactic neutrino flux measurements by IceCube, the absence of comparable neutrino events at IceCube and Auger observatories, and the latest gamma-ray experiment upper limits. Our findings impose the most stringent constraints to date, placing a lower bound on the SHDM lifetime at $\gtrsim 5\cdot 10^{29}-10^{30} \rm s$. Importantly, we identify, for the first time, the significant potential of galactic neutrino flux measurements in advancing dark matter research. Future investigations targeting astrophysical neutrinos originating from the Galactic Center at energies above $10~\rm PeV$ will be crucial, not only for understanding the origin of the cosmic-ray knee but also for exploring the possible contributions of super-heavy dark matter to our Universe.

Constraining Super-Heavy Dark Matter with the KM3-230213A Neutrino Event

TL;DR

The paper tackles constraining super-heavy dark matter decay using the KM3-230213A 220 TeV-scale neutrino event by building a global likelihood that combines galactic and extragalactic neutrino fluxes with gamma-ray upper limits and non-detections from IceCube and Auger. It models SHDM-induced fluxes for the channels and , accounts for Galactic Center visibility and extragalactic propagation, and uses a Poisson plus Gaussian penalty framework to enforce multi-messenger constraints. The analysis yields the strongest SHDM lifetime bounds to date, with – s for in – GeV, and demonstrates that gamma-ray channels often drive the constraints. The work also highlights the pivotal role of galactic neutrino flux measurements and forecasts that upcoming detectors (e.g., KM3NeT/ARCA, IceCube-Gen2) and ultra-high-energy gamma-ray observatories will sharpen SHDM tests, potentially ruling out or tightly constraining hadronic decay scenarios.

Abstract

Recently, the KM3NeT collaboration detected an astrophysical neutrino event, KM3-230213A, with an energy of approximately , providing unprecedented insights into the ultra-high-energy Universe. In this study, we introduce a novel likelihood framework designed to leverage this event to constrain the properties of super-heavy dark matter (SHDM) decay. Our approach systematically integrates multi-messenger constraints from galactic and extragalactic neutrino flux measurements by IceCube, the absence of comparable neutrino events at IceCube and Auger observatories, and the latest gamma-ray experiment upper limits. Our findings impose the most stringent constraints to date, placing a lower bound on the SHDM lifetime at . Importantly, we identify, for the first time, the significant potential of galactic neutrino flux measurements in advancing dark matter research. Future investigations targeting astrophysical neutrinos originating from the Galactic Center at energies above will be crucial, not only for understanding the origin of the cosmic-ray knee but also for exploring the possible contributions of super-heavy dark matter to our Universe.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 6 sections, 9 equations, 4 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. SHDM Decay Gamma-Ray and Neutrino Fluxes
  3. On the Direction of the KM3-230213A Event
  4. Constraints and Analysis Setup
  5. Results
  6. Conclusions

Figures (4)

  • Figure 1: $95\%$ CL lower limit of the SHDM in terms of $M_{\chi}$ in the mass range $10^7-10^{17}\, \rm GeV$. The orange band represent the excluded regions obtained by our analysis. Left: It refers to $\chi \longrightarrow \nu \bar{\nu}$ and it is compared to the limits obtained by Chianese:2021jke. Right: It refers to $\chi \longrightarrow b \bar{b}$ and it is compared with the limits obtained by Das:2023wtkLHAASO:2022yxw
  • Figure 2: The fractional visibility $F$ as a function of the equatorial declination for KM3NeT/ARCA (blue line), IceCube (orange line) and Pierre Auger Observatory (green line). The vertical dashed red line refers to the Galactic center declination.
  • Figure 3: 2D map in galactic coordinates of the visibility $\rm F$$\times$ the galactic DM distribution flux for KM3NeT/ARCA, considering $0^{\circ} \le \theta \le 100^{\circ}$. The blank region corresponds to the blind spots, while the golden and red stars respectively are the Galactic center and the location of KM3-230213A event.
  • Figure 4: The same as Fig. \ref{['fig:final_map_km3']}. Left The IceCube case, considering $0^{\circ} \le \theta \le 100^{\circ}$. Right: The Pierre Auger case, considering $60^{\circ} \le \theta \le 95^{\circ}$.