Search for neutrino emission from relic dark matter in the Sun with the Baikal NT200 detector

TL;DR

This study searches for neutrinos from dark matter annihilation in the Sun using Baikal NT200 data, setting upper limits on neutrino fluxes and dark matter scattering cross sections based on 2.76 years of observations.

Contribution

It introduces a search for neutrinos from dark matter annihilation in the Sun, including monochromatic neutrino channels, using the Baikal NT200 detector data.

Findings

No excess neutrino events detected from the Sun.

Established 90% upper limits on neutrino fluxes and dark matter scattering cross sections.

Constrained dark matter models with new upper limits.

Abstract

We have analyzed a data set taken over 2.76 years live time with the Baikal neutrino telescope NT200. The goal of the analysis is to search for neutrinos from dark matter annihilation in the center of the Sun. Apart from the conventional annihilation channels $b\bar{b}$, $W^+W^-$ and $\tau^+\tau^-$ we consider also the annihilation of dark matter particles into monochromatic neutrinos. From the absence of any excess of events from the direction of the Sun over the expected background, we derive 90% upper limits on the fluxes of muons and muon neutrinos from the Sun, as well as on the elastic cross sections of dark matter scattering on protons.