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Register a new userExplanations of the DAMPE high energy electron/positron spectrum in the dark matter annihilation and pulsar scenarios
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Bing-Bing Wang
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Many studies have shown that either the nearby astrophysical source or dark matter (DM) annihilation/decay is required to explain the origin of high energy cosmic ray (CR) $e^pm$, which are measured by many experiments, such as PAMELA and AMS-02. Recently, the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) collaboration has reported its first result of the total CR $e^pm$ spectrum from $25 ,mathrm{GeV}$ to $4.6 ,mathrm{TeV}$ with high precision. In this work, we study the DM annihilation and pulsar interpretations of the DAMPE high energy $e^pm$ spectrum. In the DM scenario, the leptonic annihilation channels to $tau^+tau^-$, $4mu$, $4tau$, and mixed charged lepton final states can well fit the DAMPE result, while the $mu^+mu^-$ channel has been excluded. In addition, we find that the mixed charged leptons channel would lead to a sharp drop at $sim$ $mathrm{TeV}$. However, these DM explanations are almost excluded by the observations of gamma-ray and CMB, unless some complicated DM models are introduced. In the pulsar scenario, we analyze 21 nearby known pulsars and assume that one of them is the primary source of high energy CR $e^pm$.Considering the constraint from the Fermi-LAT observation of the $e^pm$ anisotropy, we find that two pulsars are possible to explain the DAMPE data. Our results show that it is difficult to distinguish between the DM annihilation and single pulsar explanations of high energy $e^pm$ with the current DAMPE result.
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We investigate the production of electrons and positrons in the Milky Way within the context of dark matter annihilation. Upper limits on the relevant cross-section are obtained by combining observational data at different wavelengths (from Haslam, WMAP, and Fermi all-sky intensity maps) with recent measurements of the electron and positron spectra in the solar neighbourhood by PAMELA, Fermi, and HESS. We consider synchrotron emission in the radio and microwave bands, as well as inverse Compton scattering and final-state radiation at gamma-ray energies. According to our results, the dark matter annihilation cross-section into electron-positron pairs should not be higher than the canonical value for a thermal relic if the mass of the dark matter candidate is smaller than a few GeV. In addition, we also derive a stringent upper limit on the inner logarithmic slope, alpha, of the density profile of the Milky Way dark matter halo (alpha < 1 if m_dm < 5 GeV, alpha < 1.3 if m_dm < 100 GeV and alpha < 1.5 if m_dm < 2 TeV) assuming that cross-section = 3 x 10^(-26) cm^3 s(-1). A logarithmic slope steeper than alpha about 1.5 is hardly compatible with a thermal relic lighter than about 1 TeV, regardless of the dominant annihilation channel.
The Fermi-LAT experiment recently reported high precision measurements of the spectrum of cosmic-ray electrons-plus-positrons (CRE) between 20 GeV and 1 TeV. The spectrum shows no prominent spectral features, and is significantly harder than that inferred from several previous experiments. Here we discuss several interpretations of the Fermi results based either on a single large scale Galactic CRE component or by invoking additional electron-positron primary sources, e.g. nearby pulsars or particle Dark Matter annihilation. We show that while the reported Fermi-LAT data alone can be interpreted in terms of a single component scenario, when combined with other complementary experimental results, specifically the CRE spectrum measured by H.E.S.S. and especially the positron fraction reported by PAMELA between 1 and 100 GeV, that class of models fails to provide a consistent interpretation. Rather, we find that several combinations of parameters, involving both the pulsar and dark matter scenarios, allow a consistent description of those results. We also briefly discuss the possibility of discriminating between the pulsar and dark matter interpretations by looking for a possible anisotropy in the CRE flux.
The 511 keV line from positron annihilation in the Galaxy was the first $gamma$-ray line detected to originate from outside our solar system. Going into the fifth decade since the discovery, the source of positrons is still unconfirmed and remains one of the enduring mysteries in $gamma$-ray astronomy. With a large flux of $sim$10$^{-3}$ $gamma$/cm$^{2}$/s, after 15 years in operation INTEGRAL/SPI has detected the 511 keV line at $>50sigma$ and has performed high-resolution spectral studies which conclude that Galactic positrons predominantly annihilate at low energies in warm phases of the interstellar medium. The results from imaging are less certain, but show a spatial distribution with a strong concentration in the center of the Galaxy. The observed emission from the Galactic disk has low surface brightness and the scale height is poorly constrained, therefore, the shear number of annihilating positrons in our Galaxy is still not well know. Positrons produced in $beta^+$-decay of nucleosynthesis products, such as $^{26}$Al, can account for some of the annihilation emission in the disk, but the observed spatial distribution, in particular the excess in the Galactic bulge, remains difficult to explain. Additionally, one of the largest uncertainties in these studies is the unknown distance that positrons propagate before annihilation. In this paper, we will summarize the current knowledge base of Galactic positrons, and discuss how next-generation instruments could finally provide the answers.
The unexpected energy spectrum of the positron/electron ratio is interpreted astrophysically, with a possible exception of the 100-300 GeV range. The data indicate that this ratio, after a decline between $0.5-8$ GeV, rises steadily with a trend towards saturation at 200-400GeV. These observations (except for the trend) appear to be in conflict with the diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) mechanism, operating in a emph{single} supernova remnant (SNR) shock. We argue that $e^{+}/e^{-}$ ratio can still be explained by the DSA if positrons are accelerated in a emph{subset} of SNR shocks which: (i) propagate in clumpy gas media, and (ii) are modified by accelerated CR emph{protons}. The protons penetrate into the dense gas clumps upstream to produce positrons and, emph{charge the clumps positively}. The induced electric field expels positrons into the upstream plasma where they are shock-accelerated. Since the shock is modified, these positrons develop a harder spectrum than that of the CR electrons accelerated in other SNRs. Mixing these populations explains the increase in the $e^{+}/e^{-}$ ratio at $E>8$ GeV. It decreases at $E<8$ GeV because of a subshock weakening which also results from the shock modification. Contrary to the expelled positrons, most of the antiprotons, electrons, and heavier nuclei, are left unaccelerated inside the clumps. Scenarios for the 100-300 GeV AMS-02 fraction exceeding the model prediction, including, but not limited to, possible dark matter contribution, are also discussed.
Cosmic ray electrons and positrons are tracers of particle propagation in the interstellar medium (ISM). A recent measurement performed using H.E.S.S. extends the all-electron (electron+positron) spectrum up to 20TeV, probing very local sources and transport due to the $sim$10~kyr cooling time of these particles. An additional key local measurement was the recent estimation of the ISM diffusion coefficient around Geminga performed using HAWC. The inferred diffusion coefficient is much lower than typically assumed values. It has been argued that if this diffusion coefficient is representative of the local ISM, pulsars would not be able to account for the all-electron spectrum measured at the Earth. Here we show that a low diffusion coefficient in the local ISM is compatible with a pulsar wind nebula origin of the highest energy electrons, if a so far undiscovered pulsar with spin-down power $sim 10^{33-34}$ erg/s exists within 30 to 80~pc of the Earth. The existence of such a pulsar is broadly consistent with the known population and may be detected in near future survey observations.
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