English

Revisiting ultrahigh-energy constraints on decaying super-heavy dark matter

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 2023-05-11 v3 High Energy Physics - Phenomenology

Abstract

We revisit constraints on decaying very heavy dark matter (VHDM) using the latest ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray (UHECR; E1018E\gtrsim 10^{18} eV) data and ultrahigh-energy (UHE) γ\gamma-ray flux upper limits, measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory. We present updated limits on the VHDM lifetime (τχ\tau_\chi) for masses up to 1015\sim10^{15}~GeV, considering decay into quarks, leptons, and massive bosons. In particular, we consider not only the UHECR spectrum but their composition data that favors heavier nuclei. Such a combined analysis improves the limits at 1012\lesssim 10^{12} GeV because VHDM decay does not produce UHECR nuclei. We also show that the constraints from the UHE γ\gamma-ray upper limits are 10\sim10 more stringent than that obtained from cosmic rays, for all of the Standard Model final states we consider. The latter improves our limits to VHDM lifetime by a factor of two for dark matter mass 1012\gtrsim10^{12} GeV.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2302.02993,
  title  = {Revisiting ultrahigh-energy constraints on decaying super-heavy dark matter},
  author = {Saikat Das and Kohta Murase and Toshihiro Fujii},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2302.02993},
  year   = {2023}
}

Comments

9 pages, 5 figures, Accepted for publication in PRD