Diffuse inverse Compton and synchrotron emission from dark matter annihilations in galactic satellites
E. A. Baltz, L. Wai
TL;DR
This paper investigates a diffuse, multiwavelength signature of dark matter annihilation in Galactic satellites. It emphasizes that annihilation products inject comparable power into high-energy electrons/positrons and gamma rays, with the charged particles losing energy primarily via inverse Compton scattering and synchrotron radiation in the Galactic environment. By exploring MSSM neutralino dark matter with the DarkSUSY framework under WMAP constraints, it identifies viable parameter regions and predicts extended inverse-Compton X-ray/gamma-ray and radio synchrotron signals that could be detected by instruments like EGRET and GLAST. The work broadens indirect detection strategies by focusing on diffuse trailing emission from satellites as a robust probe of TeV-scale dark matter.
Abstract
Annihilating dark matter particles produce roughly as much power in electrons and positrons as in gamma ray photons. The charged particles lose essentially all of their energy to inverse Compton and synchrotron processes in the galactic environment. We discuss the diffuse signature of dark matter annihilations in satellites of the Milky Way (which may be optically dark with few or no stars), providing a tail of emission trailing the satellite in its orbit. Inverse Compton processes provide X-rays and gamma rays, and synchrotron emission at radio wavelengths might be seen. We discuss the possibility of detecting these signals with current and future observations, in particular EGRET and GLAST for the gamma rays.