Dark Matter in Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies and Indirect Detection: A Review

TL;DR

This review discusses the progress, methods, and challenges in indirect dark matter detection using dwarf spheroidal galaxies, emphasizing the importance of accurate dark matter distribution measurements for future searches.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of analysis techniques for dark matter in dSphs, compares different methods, and highlights systematics affecting current and future indirect detection efforts.

Findings

Analysis methods for J-factors vary and have systematic uncertainties.

Recent data and discoveries have enhanced the potential for dark matter detection.

Future improvements depend on better measurements of dark matter distributions.

Abstract

Indirect dark matter searches targeting dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) have matured rapidly during the past decade. This has been because of the substantial increase in kinematic data sets from the dSphs, the new dSphs that have been discovered, and the operation of the Fermi-LAT and many ground-based gamma-ray experiments. Here we review the analysis methods that have been used to determine the dSph dark matter distributions, in particular the "J-factors," comparing and contrasting them, and detailing the underlying systematics that still affect the analysis. We discuss prospects for improving measurements of dark matter distributions, and how these interplay with future indirect dark matter searches.