Looking for Galactic Diffuse Dark Matter in INO-MagICAL Detector

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of the INO-MagICAL detector to detect or constrain galactic diffuse dark matter by observing neutrino pairs from WIMP annihilation or decay, setting limits on dark matter properties.

Contribution

It proposes using the INO-MagICAL detector to search for neutrino signals from dark matter, providing new constraints on dark matter annihilation and decay parameters.

Findings

Set limits on dark matter annihilation cross-section at 90% C.L.

Set limits on dark matter decay lifetime at 90% C.L.

Demonstrated the detector's capability to improve dark matter constraints.

Abstract

The Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) is a popular particle physics candidate for the dark matter (DM). It can annihilate and/or decay to neutrino and antineutrino pair. The proposed 50 kt Magnetized Iron CALorimeter (MagICAL) detector at the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) can observe these pairs over the conventional atmospheric neutrino and antineutrino fluxes. If we do not see any excess of events in ten years, then INO-Magical can place competitive limits on self-annihilation cross-section ($\langle\sigma v\rangle$) and decay lifetime ($\tau$) of dark matter at 90\% C.L.: $\langle\sigma v\rangle\leq 1.87\,\times\,10^{-24}$ cm$^3$ s$^{-1}$ and $\tau\geq 4.8\,\times\,10^{24}$ s for $m_\chi$ = 10 GeV assuming the NFW as DM density profile.