Segue 1: the best dark matter candidate dwarf galaxy surveyed by MAGIC

TL;DR

This paper reports on the MAGIC telescopes' extensive survey of the Segue 1 dwarf galaxy, aiming to detect dark matter signatures through gamma-ray observations, and discusses implications for future detection prospects.

Contribution

It presents the largest Cherenkov telescope survey of a dwarf galaxy and introduces a novel analysis method considering spectral features of specific dark matter models.

Findings

No significant gamma-ray emission detected from Segue 1

Largest survey of a dwarf galaxy with Cherenkov telescopes to date

Analysis incorporating spectral features of supersymmetric dark matter models

Abstract

Despite the interest in Dark Matter (DM) searches is currently more focused on underground experiments, a signature of DM annihilation/decay in gamma-rays from space would constitute a smoking gun for its identification. In this contribution, we start with a brief review of the efforts of the ground-based MAGIC Cherenkov telescopes system to detect DM signatures from dwarf satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way halo. We then present the recent survey of Segue 1, considered by many as possibly the most DM dominated satellite galaxy known in our galaxy. No significant gamma-ray emission was found above the background in around 30 hours of observation. This is the largest survey ever made on a single dwarf by Cherenkov telescopes. We present a novel analysis that fully takes into account the spectral features of the gamma-ray spectrum of specific DM models in a Supersymmetric scenario. We also discuss the prospects of detection after the Fermi observation of similar objects at lower energies.