Dark Matter and Galaxy Cross-Correlations with the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory

TL;DR

This paper explores how the Cherenkov Telescope Array can detect dark matter signals through cross-correlations between gamma-ray data and galaxy surveys, offering a new approach to dark matter detection.

Contribution

It demonstrates the potential of CTAO to detect dark matter signals via cross-correlation with galaxy catalogs, providing a novel method complementary to existing searches.

Findings

CTA sensitivity to dark matter signals is competitive with dwarf galaxy analyses.

Using dense, low-redshift galaxy catalogs enhances detection prospects.

Integration times around 50 hours are effective for this method.

Abstract

The Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) will be a ground-based Cherenkov telescope performing wide-sky surveys, ideal for anisotropy studies such as cross-correlations with tracers of the cosmic large-scale structure. Cross-correlations can shed light on high-energy $\gamma$-ray sources and potentially reveal exotic signals from particle dark matter. In this work, we investigate CTAO sensitivity to cross-correlation signals between $\gamma$-ray emission and galaxy distributions. We find that by using dense, low-redshift catalogs like 2MASS, and for integration times around 50 hours, this technique achieves sensitivities to both annihilating and decaying dark matter signals that are competitive with those from dwarf galaxy and cluster analyses.