TASI Lectures on Indirect Detection of Dark Matter

TL;DR

This paper provides an accessible overview of the key methods, theoretical background, and current experimental status of indirect dark matter detection, aimed at graduate students.

Contribution

It offers a comprehensive, introductory synthesis of indirect dark matter search techniques, including modeling, theoretical scenarios, and experimental constraints, with a focus on conceptual understanding.

Findings

Summarizes key experimental constraints as of 2016.

Discusses potential signals and their interpretations.

Provides conceptual tools for estimating dark matter signals.

Abstract

These lectures, presented at TASI 2016: Anticipating the Next Discoveries in Particle Physics, provide an introduction to some key methods and tools of indirect dark matter searches. Topics covered include estimation of dark matter signals, thermal freezeout and related scenarios, potential effects of dark matter annihilation on the early universe, modeling photon signals from annihilation or decay, and a brief and qualitative introduction to diffusive propagation of cosmic rays. The second half of the notes gives a status report (circa summer 2016) on selected experimental searches, the resulting constraints and some potential signal candidates. These notes are intended as an introduction to indirect dark matter searches for graduate students, focusing on back-of-the-envelope estimates and useful concepts rather than detailed quantitative computations.