Probing the Finely-resolved 100 TeV Gamma-ray Sky for Ultra-heavy Dark Matter

Descripción del proyecto

Un innovador telescopio de rayos gamma revela información sobre la materia oscura ultrapesada

Entre los candidatos propuestos para materia oscura se encuentran las partículas masivas de interacción débil, convencionalmente asociadas a una masa inferior a 100 teraelectronvoltios (TeV) o 100 billones de electronvoltios. La materia oscura ultrapesada, con un rango de masas superior a los 100 TeV, se perfila como un candidato alternativo. El equipo del proyecto Dark100, financiado por el CEI, tiene como objetivo buscar partículas de materia oscura entre 100 TeV y varias decenas de petaelectronvoltios. Para ello, aprovechará una tecnología de telescopios novedosa y rentable. En Dark100 no solo se dará lugar a un nuevo conjunto de datos de apoyo a los conocimientos teóricos y observacionales, sino que también se fomentarán los futuros estudios astrofísicos de más de 100 TeV con su paradigma pionero de telescopio de rayos gamma.

Objetivo

Dark100 will shine a light into an underexplored dark matter particle mass range. Driven by recent theoretical developments, both in tools and motivation, Dark100 will search for dark matter particles between 100 TeV and several tens of PeV. Leveraging novel, cost-effective telescope technology, Dark100 will deploy an array of telescopes capable of probing dark matter annihilation, improving on the sensitivity of currently operating and planned gamma-ray instruments by an order of magnitude with unprecedented energy and angular resolution.

Dark100 will build a unique dataset of deep gamma-ray observations of dark-matter-rich astrophysical systems. Dark matter will potentially be detected, or in the event of non-detection, limits on its velocity-weighted annihilation cross section will be set. For a non-detection, dark matter will be ruled out for part of the probed mass range and theoretical models constrained for the full probed mass range.

The impact of Dark100 will be felt beyond the dark matter community. By demonstrating a new gamma-ray telescope paradigm, Dark100 will enable a range of possible astrophysical studies with gamma rays above 100 TeV, including searches for Galactic Pevatrons and transient events. Its public data archive will encourage synergy with other gamma-ray instruments.

Dark100 takes advantage of a unique moment in theoretical and technological development that enables its pioneering science goals. While the theoretical motivation is fully developed and the technology is well-tested, the deployment of the Dark100 array and collection and interpretation of its observations is an ambitious project that demands the resources of an ERC consolidator grant. The PI's leadership in dark matter searches and gamma-ray analysis and simulation make her ideally suited to direct this program.