Dark matter searches with H.E.S.S

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment, 2011-02, Vol.630 (1), p.151-154
• Main Authors: Brun, Pierre, Glicenstein, Jean-François, Moulin, Emmanuel, Vivier, Matthieu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: [formula omitted] astronomy; Particle dark matter
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2010.06.049

WIMP annihilations are required to reproduce the correct dark matter abundance in the Universe. This process can occur in dense regions of our Galaxy such as the Galactic center, dwarf galaxies and other types of sub-haloes. High-energy γ ‐rays are produced in dark matter particle collisions and can be detected by Cherenkov telescopes such as H.E.S.S. We report here the search for γ ‐ray signals from the Galactic center and the nearby Sagittarius and Canis Major satellites. In the absence of a convincing signal, modelling the dark matter density within these objects allows to put constraints on the WIMP parameters such as its mass and annihilation cross-section. Beyond these targeted searches, the wide-field survey of the inner Galaxy with H.E.S.S. is used to constrain sub-halo formation models involving intermediate-mass black holes.