$U(1)_{B-L}$ Sneutrino Dark Matter Detection with the IceCube Neutrino Telescope

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential for detecting right-handed sneutrino dark matter via neutrinos at IceCube within a $U(1)_{B-L}$ extended MSSM, highlighting the conditions under which detection is feasible.

Contribution

It demonstrates that sneutrino annihilation in the Sun can produce detectable neutrino signals at IceCube, considering model constraints and velocity distribution effects.

Findings

Muon event rates from the Sun can reach up to 100 events/km²/year.

Earth muon events are generally too small for detection under standard halo models.

Modified velocity distributions can significantly enhance Earth muon event rates.

Abstract

We investigate the prospects for indirect detection of right-handed sneutrino dark matter at the IceCube neutrino telescope in a $U(1)_{B-L}$ extension of the MSSM. The capture and annihilation of sneutrinos inside the Sun reach equilibrium, and the flux of produced neutrinos is governed by the sneutrino-proton elastic scattering cross section, which has an upper bound of $8 \times 10^{-9}$ pb from the $Z^{\prime}$ mass limits in the $B-L$ model. Despite the absence of any spin-dependent contribution, the muon event rates predicted by this model can be detected at IceCube since sneutrinos mainly annihilate into leptonic final states by virtue of the fermion $B-L$ charges. These subsequently decay to neutrinos with 100% efficiency. The Earth muon event rates are too small to be detected for the standard halo model irrespective of an enhanced sneutrino annihilation cross section that can explain the recent PAMELA data. For modified velocity distributions, the Earth muon events increase substantially and can be greater than the IceCube detection threshold of 12 events $\mathrm{km}^{-2}$ $\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$. However, this only leads to a mild increase of about 30% for the Sun muon events. The number of muon events from the Sun can be as large as roughly 100 events $\mathrm{km}^{-2}$ $\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ for this model.