Gamma rays from Dark Matter Annihilation in the Central Region of the Galaxy

TL;DR

This paper reviews the potential of the Fermi satellite to detect gamma rays from dark matter annihilation in the Galactic Center, considering recent astrophysical observations and background challenges.

Contribution

It assesses the detection prospects of gamma rays from dark matter in the Galactic Center using Fermi, incorporating recent observational data and background mitigation strategies.

Findings

Fermi's detection potential is limited by astrophysical backgrounds.

Distinct spectral and angular features can help distinguish dark matter signals.

Recent observations influence the expected gamma-ray signatures.

Abstract

In this article, we review the prospects for the Fermi satellite (formerly known as GLAST) to detect gamma rays from dark matter annihilations in the Central Region of the Milky Way, in particular on the light of the recent astrophysical observations and discoveries of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes. While the existence of significant backgrounds in this part of the sky limits Fermi's discovery potential to some degree, this can be mitigated by exploiting the peculiar energy spectrum and angular distribution of the dark matter annihilation signal relative to those of astrophysical backgrounds.