Effects of p-wave annihilation on the angular power spectrum of extragalactic gamma-rays from dark matter annihilation Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • We present a formalism for estimating the angular power spectrum of extragalactic gamma-rays produced by dark matter annihilating with any general velocity-dependent cross section. The relevant density and velocity distribution of dark matter is modeled as an ensemble of smooth, universal, rigid, disjoint, spherical halos with distribution and universal properties constrained by simulation data. We apply this formalism to theories of dark matter with p-wave annihilation, for which the relative-velocity-weighted annihilation cross section is v=a+bv2. We determine that this significantly increases the gamma-ray power if b/a106. The effect of p-wave annihilation on the angular power spectrum is very similar for the sample of particle physics models we explored, suggesting that the important effect for a given b/a is largely determined by the cosmic dark matter distribution. If the dark matter relic from strong p-wave theories is thermally produced, the intensities of annihilation gamma-rays are strongly p-wave suppressed, making them difficult to observe. If an angular power spectrum consistent with a strong p wave were to be observed, it would likely indicate nonthermal production of dark matter in the early Universe. 2011 American Physical Society.

published proceedings

  • PHYSICAL REVIEW D

author list (cited authors)

  • Campbell, S., & Dutta, B.

citation count

  • 12

complete list of authors

  • Campbell, Sheldon||Dutta, Bhaskar

publication date

  • October 2011