Indirect Probes of Dark Matter: Neutrino Signatures of Self-Interactions.

• Grant number: 12/10697-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: October 01, 2012
• End date: March 24, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Elementary Particle Physics and Fields
• Principal Investigator: Ivone Freire da Mota e Albuquerque
• Grantee: Denis Stefan Robertson Sotelo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 14/18388-8 - Standard model extensions and its connection to dark matter, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

In this project we will investigate indirect dark matter detection. We will focus on possible enhancements due to dark matter self interactions. From gravitational evidences, it is expected that dark matter particles will be captured by astrophysical objects such as the Sun and the Earth. The effects of self interaction, where dark matter particles interact among themselves, on the capture rate by the Sun will be analyzed.Dark matter self interactions should be more effective for capture in the Sun than in the Earth. Once captured the dark matter particles should merge to the Sun's core and annihilate. The enhancement on the capture rate should increase the flux of particles produced in the annihilation process that is expected to happen in the center of the Sun. Among the annihilation products, neutrinos should be produced. These particles would be the only one able to come out of the Sun. It is our goal to determine the neutrino flux, originated either from the annihilation itself or from the decay of annihilation products.As a result of our research, we expect to determine the neutrino event rate in IceCube as well as in Multi-Km$^3$ proposed telescopes. In order to probe a space defined by the dark matter interaction cross section versus its mass, we will compare our predictions with IceCube results. This comparison will allow us to probe the strength of dark matter self-interactions.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SOTELO, Denis Stefan Robertson. Probing Self-Interacting Dark Matter Models with Neutrino Telescopes. 2017. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Física (IF/SBI) São Paulo.