Related papers: Dark matter annihilation at the galactic center
The presence of dark matter (DM) is suggested by a wealth of astrophysical and cosmological measurements. However, its underlying nature is yet unknown. Among the most promising candidates are weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs):…
We consider the nuclear absorption of dark matter as an alternative to the typical indirect detection search channels of dark matter decay or annihilation. In this scenario, an atomic nucleus transitions to an excited state by absorbing a…
Particulate dark matter captured by a population of neutron stars distributed around the galactic center while annihilating through long-lived mediators can give rise to an observable neutrino flux. We examine the prospect of an idealised…
If the supermassive black hole Sgr A* at the center of the Milky Way grew adiabatically from an initial seed embedded in an NFW dark matter (DM) halo, then the DM profile near the hole has steepened into a spike. We calculate the dramatic…
Dark matter is theorised to form massive haloes, which could be further condensed into so-called spikes when a black hole grows at the centre of such a halo. The existence of these spikes is instrumental for several dark matter detection…
Prompt cusps are the densest quasi-equilibrium dark matter objects; one forms at the instant of collapse within every isolated peak of the initial cosmological density field. They have power-law density profiles, $\rho \propto r^{-1.5}$…
The identity of dark matter is one of the key outstanding problems in both particle and astrophysics. In this thesis, I describe a number of complementary searches for particle dark matter. I discuss how the impact of dark matter on stars…
Dark matter caustics are small scale, high density structures believed to exist in galaxies like ours. If the dark matter consists of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, these caustics may be detected by means of the gamma rays produced…
Self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) naturally gives rise to a cored isothermal density profile, which is favored in observations of many dwarf galaxies. The dark matter distribution in the presence of a central black hole in an isothermal…
Observations of the Galactic center region with the H.E.S.S. telescopes have established the existence of a steady, extended source of gamma-ray emission coinciding with the position of the super massive black hole Sgr A*. This is a…
Indirect searches for dark matter through Standard Model products of its annihilation generally assume a cross-section which is dominated by a term independent of velocity ($s$-wave annihilation). However, in many DM models an $s$-wave…
If a component of dark matter has dissipative interactions, it can cool to form compact astrophysical objects with higher density than that of conventional cold dark matter (sub)haloes. Dark matter annihilations might then appear as point…
Dark matter in galaxies, its abundance, and its distribution remain a subject of long-standing discussion, especially in view of the fact that neither dark matter particles nor dark matter bodies have yet been found. Experts' opinions range…
Galaxy formation requires a process that continually heats gas and quenches star formation in order to reproduce the observed shape of the luminosity function of bright galaxies. To accomplish this, current models invoke heating from…
One of the most important problems in astrophysics concerns the nature of the dark matter in galactic halos, whose presence is implied mainly by the observed flat rotation curves in spiral galaxies. Due to the Pauli exclusion principle it…
If the supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the center of our Galaxy grew adiabatically, then a dense "spike" of dark matter is expected to have formed around it. Assuming that dark matter is composed primarily of weakly interacting massive…
The annihilation of weakly interacting massive particles can provide an important heat source for the first (Pop. III) stars, potentially leading to a new phase of stellar evolution known as a "Dark Star". When dark matter (DM) capture via…
The detection of non-baryonic dark matter through its gamma-ray annihilation in the centre of our galaxy has been studied. The gamma fluxes according to different models have been simulated and compared to those expected to be observed with…
Numerical simulations of dark matter collapse and structure formation show that in addition to a large halo surrounding the baryonic component of our galaxy, there also exists a significant number of subhalos that extend hundreds of…
We discuss the formation of dark compact objects in a dark matter environment in view of the possible mass dependence of pulsars on the distribution of dark matter in the Galaxy. Our results indicate that the pulsar masses should decrease…