WIMP capture by the Sun in the effective theory of dark matter self-interactions

TL;DR

This paper investigates how dark matter self-interactions affect the capture of WIMPs by the Sun and the resulting neutrino signals, finding potential enhancements in neutrino flux that influence neutrino telescope observations.

Contribution

It provides a model-independent analysis of the impact of all non-relativistic Galilean invariant self-interaction operators on WIMP capture and neutrino flux from the Sun.

Findings

Self-interactions can enhance neutrino flux by several orders of magnitude.

Enhancement occurs even with standard annihilation cross-sections.

Impacts interpretation of neutrino telescope data.

Abstract

We study the capture of WIMP dark matter by the Sun in the non-relativistic effective theory of dark matter self-interactions. The aim is to assess the impact of self-interactions on the expected neutrino flux from the annihilation of WIMPs trapped in the Sun in a model independent manner. We consider all non-relativistic Galilean invariant self-interaction operators that can arise from the exchange of a heavy particle of spin less than or equal to 1 for WIMPs of spin equal to 0, 1/2 and 1. We show that for interaction operators depending at most linearly on the momentum transfer, the WIMP-induced neutrino flux can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude compared to the same flux in absence of self-interactions. This is true even for standard values of the thermally averaged annihilation cross-section. This conclusion impacts the analysis of present and future observations performed at neutrino telescopes.