Milky Way White Dwarfs as Sub-GeV to Multi-TeV Dark Matter Detectors
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arXiv
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2023
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| _version_ | 1866909216195739648 |
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| author | Acevedo, Javier F. Leane, Rebecca K. Santos-Olmsted, Lillian |
| author_facet | Acevedo, Javier F. Leane, Rebecca K. Santos-Olmsted, Lillian |
| contents | We show that Milky Way white dwarfs are excellent targets for dark matter (DM) detection. Using Fermi and H.E.S.S. Galactic center gamma-ray data, we investigate sensitivity to DM annihilating within white dwarfs into long-lived or boosted mediators and producing detectable gamma rays. Depending on the Galactic DM distribution, we set new constraints on the spin-independent scattering cross section down to $10^{-45}-10^{-41}$ cm$^2$ in the sub-GeV DM mass range, which is multiple orders of magnitude stronger than existing limits. For a generalized NFW DM profile, we find that our white dwarf constraints exceed spin-independent direct detection limits across most of the sub-GeV to multi-TeV DM mass range, achieving sensitivities as low as about $10^{-46}$ cm$^2$. In addition, we improve earlier versions of the DM capture calculation in white dwarfs, by including the low-temperature distribution of nuclei when the white dwarf approaches crystallization. This yields smaller capture rates than previously calculated by a factor of a few up to two orders of magnitude, depending on white dwarf size and the astrophysical system. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2309_10843 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Milky Way White Dwarfs as Sub-GeV to Multi-TeV Dark Matter Detectors Acevedo, Javier F. Leane, Rebecca K. Santos-Olmsted, Lillian High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena We show that Milky Way white dwarfs are excellent targets for dark matter (DM) detection. Using Fermi and H.E.S.S. Galactic center gamma-ray data, we investigate sensitivity to DM annihilating within white dwarfs into long-lived or boosted mediators and producing detectable gamma rays. Depending on the Galactic DM distribution, we set new constraints on the spin-independent scattering cross section down to $10^{-45}-10^{-41}$ cm$^2$ in the sub-GeV DM mass range, which is multiple orders of magnitude stronger than existing limits. For a generalized NFW DM profile, we find that our white dwarf constraints exceed spin-independent direct detection limits across most of the sub-GeV to multi-TeV DM mass range, achieving sensitivities as low as about $10^{-46}$ cm$^2$. In addition, we improve earlier versions of the DM capture calculation in white dwarfs, by including the low-temperature distribution of nuclei when the white dwarf approaches crystallization. This yields smaller capture rates than previously calculated by a factor of a few up to two orders of magnitude, depending on white dwarf size and the astrophysical system. |
| title | Milky Way White Dwarfs as Sub-GeV to Multi-TeV Dark Matter Detectors |
| topic | High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.10843 |