Production of cosmic-ray antinuclei in the Galaxy and background for dark matter searches

TL;DR

This paper calculates the expected flux of cosmic-ray antinuclei, such as antideuteron and antihelium, considering astrophysical sources and shock acceleration, to aid in dark matter indirect detection efforts.

Contribution

It introduces new background flux calculations for cosmic-ray antinuclei incorporating recent AMS data and considers shock acceleration effects in supernova remnants.

Findings

Antiproton/proton ratio suggests higher flux at energies above 10 GeV/n.

Both B/C and antiproton/proton ratios agree in the sub-GeV/n energy range.

Shock acceleration has a minor impact on the background flux for dark matter searches.

Abstract

Antimatter nuclei in cosmic rays (CR) represent a promising discovery channel for the indirect search of dark matter. We present astrophysical background calculations of CR antideuteron ($\overline{d}$) and antihelium ($\overline{He}$). These particles are produced by high-energy collisions of CR protons and nuclei with the gas nuclei of the interstellar medium. In our calculations, we also consider production and shock acceleration of antinuclei in the shells of supernova remnants (SNRs). The total flux of $\overline{d}$ and $\overline{He}$ particles is constrained using new AMS measurements on the boron/carbon (B/C) and antiproton/proton ($\bar{p}/p$) ratios. The two ratios leads to different antiparticle fluxes in the high-energy regime $E\gtrsim$ 10 GeV/n where, in particular, $\bar{p}/p$-driven calculations leads to a significantly larger antiparticle flux in comparison to predictions from conventional B/C-driven constraints. On the other hand, both approaches provide consistent results in the sub-GeV/n energy window, which is where dark matter induced signal may exceed the astrophysical background. In this region, the total antinuclei flux, from interaction in the insterstellar gas and inside SNRs, is tightly bounded by the data. Shock-acceleration of antiparticles in SNRs has a minor influence in the astrophysical background for dark matter searches.