SM antideuteron background to indirect dark matter signals in galactic cosmic rays

TL;DR

This study refines the prediction of antideuteron background fluxes from cosmic rays using advanced simulation tools, revealing a higher flux than previous estimates but still below detection thresholds for current dark matter experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a new method for estimating antideuteron production using EPOS-LHC with a coalescence model, improving flux predictions for dark matter indirect detection.

Findings

Antideuteron flux is approximately doubled compared to previous models.

Predicted flux remains below current experimental sensitivities.

Standard astrophysical sources cannot account for potential dark matter signals.

Abstract

Antideuteron production cross-sections estimated using EPOS-LHC with a coalescence afterburner, tuned to reproduce published experimental data over a wide range of energy were used here as input to the galactic propagator code GALPROP, validated with comparing to existing proton, helium fluxes as well as boron-to-carbon ratio data. The resulting near-Earth antideuteron flux, including solar modulation, is compared to previous estimates. An overall factor of two increments in the antideuteron flux is predicted, the origin of which is also discussed. However, this standard model source of antideuteron background still lies well below the AMS-02, and the expected GAPS, sensitivities, as well as the fluxes predicted by several dark matter models.