Revisiting GeV-scale annihilating dark matter with the AMS-02 positron fraction

TL;DR

This study uses AMS-02 positron data to set robust upper limits on dark matter annihilation cross sections in the 5-120 GeV range, accounting for astrophysical uncertainties, and finds potential excesses at lower energies needing further investigation.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive analysis of dark matter annihilation signals in cosmic-ray positrons considering extensive astrophysical uncertainties, resulting in more robust but weaker limits.

Findings

Robust upper limits on dark matter annihilation cross sections across multiple channels.

Potential excess flux of cosmic-ray electrons and positrons between 5 and 15 GeV.

Limits are less restrictive but more reliable than previous studies.

Abstract

Antimatter cosmic-rays are used to probe new phenomena in physics, including dark matter annihilation. We use the cosmic-ray positron fraction spectrum by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, to search for such an annihilation signal in the Galaxy. We focus on dark matter with mass between 5 and 120 GeV, producing high-energy electrons and positrons. In these cosmic-ray energies the interplay of multiple astrophysical sources and phenomena, makes this search highly sensitive to the underlying astrophysical background assumptions. We use a vast public library of astrophysical models for the cosmic-ray positron fraction background, to derive robust upper limits on the dark matter's annihilation cross section for a number of annihilation channels. This library accounts for different types of cosmic-ray sources and uncertainties on their distribution in space and time. Also, it accounts for uncertainties on those sources' output, their injected into the interstellar medium cosmic-ray spectra and for uncertainties on cosmic-ray propagation. For any given dark matter particle mass and annihilation channel, upper limits on the annihilation cross section are given by bands that stretch a full order of magnitude in its value. Our work provides weaker limits compared to earlier results, that are however robust to all the relevant astrophysical uncertainties. Between 5 and 15 GeV, we find indications for a possible excess flux of cosmic-ray electrons and positrons. That excess is found for most, but not all of our astrophysical background parameter space, and its significance can vary appreciably. Further scrutiny is necessary to improve the understanding of these lower energy cosmic rays. Finally, we note that even if an excess signal is found in these energies, the current background uncertainties do not allow us to accurately deduce its underlying particle properties.