Constraints on MeV dark matter and primordial black holes: Inverse Compton signals at the SKA

TL;DR

This paper explores how the upcoming SKA radio telescope can detect signals from MeV dark matter particles and primordial black holes via inverse Compton scattering, improving existing constraints and providing new insights into their properties.

Contribution

It demonstrates that SKA observations can significantly tighten constraints on MeV dark matter and primordial black holes, independent of magnetic field assumptions, and explores the role of diffusion parameters.

Findings

SKA can improve Planck constraints on DM annihilation/decay rates.

SKA limits are independent of magnetic fields within galaxies.

Predicted SKA constraints depend on DM and diffusion parameters in dwarf galaxies.

Abstract

We investigate the possibilities for probing MeV dark matter (DM) particles and primordial black holes (PBHs) (for masses $\sim 10^{15}$--$10^{17}$ g) at the upcoming radio telescope SKA, using photon signals from the Inverse Compton (IC) effect within a galactic halo. Pair-annihilation or decay of MeV DM particles (into $e^+ e^-$ pairs) or Hawking radiation from a population of PBHs generates mildly relativistic $e^{\pm}$ which can lead to radio signals through the IC scattering on low energy cosmic microwave background (CMB) photons. We study the ability of SKA to detect such signals coming from nearby ultra-faint dwarf galaxies Segue I and Ursa Major II as well as the globular cluster $\omega$-cen and the Coma cluster. We find that with $\sim 100$ hours of observation, the SKA improves the Planck constraints on the DM annihilation/decay rate and the PBH abundance for masses in the range $\sim 1$ to few tens of MeV and above $10^{15}$ to $10^{17}$ g, respectively. Importantly, the SKA limits are independent of the assumed magnetic fields within the galaxies. Previously allowed regions of diffusion parameters of MeV electrons inside a dwarf galaxy that give rise to observable signals at the SKA are also excluded. For objects like dwarf galaxies, predicted SKA constraints depend on both the DM and diffusion parameters. Independent observations in different frequency bands, e.g., radio and $\gamma$-ray frequencies, may break this degeneracy and thus enable one to constrain the combined parameter space of DM and diffusion. However, the constraints are independent of diffusion parameters for galaxy clusters such as Coma.