Search for Dark Matter in the Sun with the ANTARES Neutrino Telescope in the CMSSM and mUED frameworks

TL;DR

This paper reports on the search for dark matter particles, specifically WIMPs, in the Sun using the ANTARES neutrino telescope data from 2007-2008, aiming to detect neutrinos from WIMP annihilation.

Contribution

It presents the first analysis of ANTARES data targeting WIMP signals in the Sun within the CMSSM and mUED frameworks, providing constraints on dark matter models.

Findings

No significant excess of neutrinos detected from the Sun.

Set upper limits on WIMP annihilation cross-sections.

Improved constraints on dark matter models in CMSSM and mUED frameworks.

Abstract

ANTARES is the first neutrino telescope in the sea. It consists of a three-dimensional array of 885 photomultipliers to collect the Cherenkov light induced by relativistic muons produced in CC interactions of high energy neutrinos. One of the main scientific goals of the experiment is the search for dark matter. We present here the analysis of data taken during 2007 and 2008 to look for a WIMP signal in the Sun. WIMPs are one of the most popular scenarios to explain the dark matter content of the Universe. They would accumulate in massive objects like the Sun or the Galactic Center and their self-annihilation would produce (directly or indirectly) high energy neutrinos detectable by neutrino telescopes. Contrary to other indirect searches (like with gamma rays or positrons), the search for neutrinos in the Sun is free from other astrophysical contributions, so the interpretation of a potential signal in terms of dark matter is much more robust.