Search for Signatures of Dark Matter Annihilation in the Galactic Center with HAWC
- (HAWC Collaboration),
- R. Alfaro(Author),
- C. Alvarez(Author),
- A. Andrés(Author),
- E. Anita-Rangel(Author),
- M. Araya(Author)
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México,
- Universidad Autonoma de Chiapas,
- University of Costa Rica,
- Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo,
- Temple University,
- Michigan State University
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Abstract
We conduct an indirect dark matter (DM) search in the vicinity of the Galactic Center, focusing on a square region within ±9° in Galactic longitude and latutide, using 2865 days of data (∼8 yr) from the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory. We explore DM particles within the weakly interacting massive particles framework with masses from 1 TeV to 10 PeV. Analyzing three annihilation channels (bb¯, τ+τ-, W+W-) and three density profiles (Navarro-Frenk-White, Einasto, Burkert), we find no significant excess and set 95% CL upper limits on the velocity-weighted annihilation cross section. Our results provide the first constraints on DM particles well above 100 TeV using gamma-ray data from the vicinity of the Galactic Center, with the strongest limits O(10-24) cm3/s, from the τ+τ- channel and the Einasto profile.
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Original language
EnglishArticle number
191001Journal (Volume, Issue Number)
Physical Review Letters (Volume 136, Issue 19)Publication milestones
- Published - 15/05/2026
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ISSN
0031-9007Publication IDs
- Scopus: 105039243753
