Constraints on Heavy Asymmetric and Symmetric Dark Matter from the Glashow Resonance

TL;DR

This paper uses the Glashow resonance in high-energy neutrino observations to set new constraints on the decay lifetime of heavy asymmetric and symmetric dark matter, improving previous bounds and guiding future searches.

Contribution

It provides the first stringent constraints on heavy asymmetric dark matter decay lifetime using IceCube data and demonstrates the potential of the Glashow resonance for dark matter detection.

Findings

Excluded ADM lifetime below 10^{29} seconds for masses above 10 PeV.

Projected sensitivity of IceCube-Gen2 could reach 10^{30} seconds.

Current symmetric dark matter decay constraints improved by up to a factor of 3.

Abstract

The decay of asymmetric dark matter (ADM) can lead to distinct neutrino signatures characterized by an asymmetry between neutrinos and antineutrinos. In the high-energy regime, the Glashow resonant interaction $\bar{\nu}_{e} + e^{-} \rightarrow W^{-}$ yields an increase in sensitivity to the neutrino flux, and stands out as the only way of discerning the antineutrino component in the diffuse high-energy astrophysical neutrino flux. This offers a unique opportunity in the search for dark matter with masses above the PeV scale. We examine the neutrino signal stemming from ADM decay and set the first stringent constraints on ADM lifetime $\tau_X$. For ADM with mass $m_X\gtrsim 10$~PeV, we {exclude} $\tau_X\lesssim 10^{29}$s using the data from the recent IceCube search for Glashow resonance events. Our projections further show that sensitivities at the forthcoming IceCube-Gen2 could approach $10^{30}$s, depending on the decay channel. The current constraints on symmetric dark matter decay to neutrinos are also improved by up to a factor of 3 thanks to the Glashow resonance.