Search for Dark Matter Decay in Nearby Galaxy Clusters and Galaxies with IceCube

TL;DR

This paper searches for neutrinos from dark matter decay in nearby galaxy clusters and galaxies using 11 years of IceCube data, focusing on dark matter masses from 10 TeV to 1 EeV across four decay channels.

Contribution

It presents the first comprehensive search for dark matter decay signals in galaxy clusters and galaxies with IceCube, covering a wide mass range and multiple decay channels.

Findings

Preliminary results indicate no significant dark matter decay signal.

Constraints on dark matter decay lifetime are derived for various channels.

Analysis demonstrates the potential of IceCube to probe dark matter properties.

Abstract

Dark matter could decay into Standard Model particles producing neutrinos directly or indirectly. The resulting flux of neutrinos from these decays could be detectable at neutrino telescopes and would be associated with massive celestial objects where dark matter is expected to be accumulated. Recent observations of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos at IceCube might hint at a signal produced by the decay of TeV to PeV scale dark matter. This analysis searches for neutrinos from decaying dark matter in nearby galaxy clusters and galaxies. We focus on dark matter masses from 10 TeV to 1 EeV and four decay channels: $\nu\bar{\nu}$, $\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$, $W^{+}W^{-}$, $b\bar{b}$. Three galaxy clusters, seven dwarf galaxies, and the Andromeda galaxy are chosen as targets and stacked within the same source class. A well-established IceCube data sample is used, which contains 11 years of upward-going track-like events. In this contribution, we present preliminary results of the analysis.