Speaker
Dr
Michael Loewenstein
(University of Maryland/CRESST/NASA-GSFC)
Description
After briefly summarizing previous constraints on dark
matter candidates that produce X-ray emission lines via radiative
decay, with an emphasis on the sterile neutrino and moduli dark
matter, I present the recent detection by our team of a candidate dark
matter feature at ~3.56 keV. This weak unidentified emission line was
discovered by stacking XMM-Newton spectrum of 73 galaxy clusters -- a
method that minimizes statistical and systematic uncertainties. The
implications for identifying the dark matter particle and for physics
beyond the Standard Model are discussed. I also indicate the
uncertainties and caveats that remain with respect to the significance
of the line and its interpretation as originating from dark matter
decay. I look forward to future work that can narrow down the possible
interpretations -- focusing on the prospects of observations with the
high energy resolution Soft X-ray Spectrometer, the featured detector
aboard the Astro-H X-ray Observatory scheduled for a 2015 launch.
Primary author
Dr
Michael Loewenstein
(University of Maryland/CRESST/NASA-GSFC)
Co-authors
Dr
Adam Foster
(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Dr
Esra Bulbul
(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysic)
Dr
Maxim Markevitch
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)
Dr
Randall Smith
(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Dr
Scott Randall
(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
