Otimização da Busca Indireta por Matéria Escura com Observatórios de Raios Gama

• Grant number: 25/18489-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: January 20, 2026
• End date: January 19, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Elementary Particle Physics and Fields
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Vitor de Souza Filho
• Grantee: Júlia Gouvêa Mamprim
• Supervisor: Miguel Angel Sanchez Conde
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/16842-0 - Optimization of CTA Dark Matter Searches, BP.DD

Abstract

This project investigates indirect dark-matter (DM) searches with gamma rays, covering both WIMPs and light bosonic candidates, such as axion-like particles (ALPs) and dark photons (DPs). In these scenarios, characteristic spectral signatures may arise from primary gamma-ray production in DM annihilation/decay or from propagation effects, most notably photon-ALP oscillations and photon-dark-photon scattering above the relevant energy thresholds. A robust interpretation of such signals requires careful modeling of the DM distribution in the vicinity of the sources, including possible density spikes around supermassive black holes and contributions from subhalos.Building on the candidate's prior experience in dark-photon phenomenology, the work will combine data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT, GeV band) with low-threshold observations from the Large-Sized Telescope 1 (LST-1) and with simulated data for the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO). This strategy broadens the energy coverage, refines the characterization of intrinsic source spectra, and increases sensitivity to the targeted DM scenarios. The analysis will employ state-of-the-art frameworks such as Gammapy and Fermipy, together with detailed halo modeling-with and without spikes and substructure-to construct realistic null hypotheses, incorporate propagation attenuations, and quantify astrophysical and instrumental uncertainties. In collaboration with the host group at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, renowned for expertise in DM phenomenology and halo modeling, the project aims to deliver competitive limits on kinetic mixing (for DPs) and photon-ALP couplings, while mapping how halo assumptions impact the statistical significance of spectral features. The outcome will be enhanced sensitivity and robustness of indirect DM searches with current and next-generation gamma-ray instruments.