The impact of the phase-space density on the indirect detection of dark matter

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the local dark matter velocity distribution's dependence on position affects indirect detection signals, highlighting deviations from standard Maxwell-Boltzmann assumptions and providing more accurate flux estimates.

Contribution

It introduces a phase-space distribution approach for more realistic modeling of dark matter velocities in indirect detection analyses.

Findings

Flux estimates can differ significantly from traditional models.

Position-dependent velocity distributions impact gamma-ray and cosmic flux predictions.

Non-s-wave annihilation cross-sections are considered in the analysis.

Abstract

We study the indirect detection of dark matter when the local dark matter velocity distribution depends upon position, as expected for the Milky Way and its dwarf spheroidal satellites, and the annihilation cross-section is not purely s-wave. Using a phase-space distribution consistent with the dark matter density profile, we present estimates of cosmic and gamma-ray fluxes from dark matter annihilations. The expectations for the indirect detection of dark matter can differ significantly from the usual calculation that assumes that the velocity of the dark matter particles follows a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution.