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T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik
T 112: Niederenergie-Neutrinophysik/Suche nach Dunkler Materie 7
T 112.8: Talk
Thursday, March 1, 2012, 18:35–18:50, ZHG 102
DM subhalos as gamma-ray sources and first candidates in the 1FGL catalog — •Hannes-S. Zechlin1, Milton V. Fernandes1, Dominik Elsässer2, and Dieter Horns1 — 1Inst. f. Experimentalphysik, Universität Hamburg — 2Inst. f. Theoretische Physik und Astrophysik, Universität Würzburg
Galactic dark matter (DM) halos are anticipated to host numerous subhalos (clumps) of 1010 to 10−6 M⊙ or less, as predicted by hierarchical structure formation. For self-annihilating DM, these objects could be visible as faint and non-variable γ-ray sources without astrophysical counterpart. In accordance with realistic subhalo models and current observational constraints on self-annihilating DM, we predict that about one massive Galactic subhalo may have been already detected in the 11-month catalog of Fermi-LAT data. Selection cuts reveal twelve candidates, and in-depth studies of the most promising object, 1FGL J0030.7+0724, are presented. In a dedicated X-ray follow-up observation (Swift XRT), seven point-like X-ray sources have been discovered. Within the positional uncertainty derived from the 24-month data, we consider the unidentified radio source NVSS J003119+072456, coinciding with a discovered Swift source, as the most promising counterpart for 1FGL J0030.7+0724. The broad-band spectral energy distribution is consistent with a high-energy-peaked blazar. However, flux and extent of the Fermi source may also be compatible with a DM subhalo. A discrimination between the two scenarios requires further multi-wavelength observations. We discuss strategies for identifying γ-ray sources associated with self-annihilating DM subhalos.