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Ruling out thermal dark matter with a black hole induced spiky profile in the M87 galaxy

Lacroix, Thomas; Bœhm, Céline; Silk, Joseph

Ruling out thermal dark matter with a black hole induced spiky profile in the M87 galaxy Thumbnail


Authors

Thomas Lacroix

Céline Bœhm

Joseph Silk



Abstract

Using the spectral energy distribution of M87, a nearby radio galaxy in the Virgo cluster, and assuming a supermassive black hole induced spike in the dark matter halo profile, we exclude any dark matter candidate with a velocity-independent (s-wave) annihilation cross-section of the order of ⟨σv⟩∼10−26  cm3 s−1 and a mass up to O(100)  TeV. These limits supersede all previous constraints on thermal, s-wave, annihilating dark matter candidates by orders of magnitude, and rule out the entire canonical mass range. We remark in addition that, under the assumption of a spike, dark matter particles with a mass of a few TeV and an annihilation cross-section of ∼10−27  cm3 s−1 could explain the TeV γ-ray emission observed in M87. A central dark matter spike is plausibly present around the supermassive black hole at the center of M87, for various, although not all, formation scenarios, and would have profound implications for our understanding of the dark matter microphysics.

Citation

Lacroix, T., Bœhm, C., & Silk, J. (2015). Ruling out thermal dark matter with a black hole induced spiky profile in the M87 galaxy. Physical Review D, 92(4), Article 043510. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.92.043510

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Aug 15, 2015
Deposit Date Feb 3, 2016
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Physical Review D
Print ISSN 2470-0010
Electronic ISSN 2470-0029
Publisher American Physical Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 92
Issue 4
Article Number 043510
DOI https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.92.043510

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Copyright Statement
Reprinted with permission from the American Physical Society: Lacroix, Thomas and Bœhm, Céline and Silk, Joseph (2015) 'Ruling out thermal dark matter with a black hole induced spiky profile in the M87 galaxy.', Physical review D., 92 (4). 043510. © 2015 by the American Physical Society. Readers may view, browse, and/or download material for temporary copying purposes only, provided these uses are for noncommercial personal purposes. Except as provided by law, this material may not be further reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, adapted, performed, displayed, published, or sold in whole or part, without prior written permission from the American Physical Society.





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