Cosmological WIMPs, Higgs Dark Matter and GLAST

TL;DR

This paper explores GLAST's potential to detect dark matter signals in the extragalactic gamma-ray background, focusing on WIMPs and Higgs models, considering astrophysical and particle physics factors.

Contribution

It provides sensitivity estimates for detecting dark matter signals with GLAST, incorporating various dark matter models and astrophysical backgrounds.

Findings

GLAST can potentially detect signals from thermal WIMPs.

Sensitivity estimates vary with dark matter halo properties.

Astrophysical backgrounds significantly affect detection prospects.

Abstract

Measurement of the extragalactic background (EGBR) of diffuse gamma-rays is perhaps one of the most challenging tasks for future gamma-ray observatories, such as GLAST. This is because any determination will depend on accurate subtraction of the galactic diffuse and celestial foregrounds, as well as point sources. However, the EGBR is likely to contain very rich information about the high energy-gamma ray sources of the Universe at cosmological distances. We focus on the ability of GLAST to detect a signal from dark matter in the EGBR. We present sensitivities for generic thermal WIMPs and the Inert Higgs Doublet Model. Also we discuss the various aspects of astrophysics and particle physics that determines the shape and strength of the signal, such as dark matter halo properties and different dark matter candidates. Other possible sources to the EGBR are also discussed, such as unresolved AGNs, and viewed as backgrounds.