Search for Gamma-Ray Spectral Lines from Dark Matter Annihilation with the H.E.S.S. Inner Galaxy Survey

@article{aharonian2026search,
  title = {{Search for Gamma-Ray Spectral Lines from Dark Matter Annihilation with the H.E.S.S. Inner Galaxy Survey}},
  author = {F Aharonian and H Ashkar and Barbosa Martins and R Batzofin and Y Becherini and D Berge and K Bernlohr and M Bottcher and C Boisson and J Bolmont and F Brun and B Bruno and T Bulik and C Burger-Scheidlin and S Casanova and J Celic and M Cerruti and A Chen and M Chernyakova and J.O Chibueze and O Chibueze and B Cornejo and G Cotter and J. de Assis Scarpin and M. de Bony de Lavergne and M de Naurois and E de Ona Wilhelmi and A.G. Delgado Giler and J Djuvsland and A Dmytriiev and K Egberts and K Egg and C. Escanuela Nieves and M.D Filipovic and G Fontaine and S Funk and S Gabici and J.F Glicenstein and J Glombitza and P Goswami and B Hess and J.A Hinton and W Hofmann and T.L Holch and M Holler and M Jamrozy and F Jankowsky and I Jaroschewski and I Jung-Richardt and K Kasprzak and K Katarzynski and D Kerszberg and B Khelifi and N Komin and K Kosack and D Kostunin and R.G Lang and S Lazarevic and A Lemiere and J.-P Lenain},
  journal = {Physical Review Letters},
  year = {2026},
  month = aug,
  doi = {10.1103/d8tj-55kc},
  eprint = {2608.07234},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://hal.science/hal-05733670v1},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Search for Gamma-Ray Spectral Lines from Dark Matter Annihilation with the H.E.S.S. Inner Galaxy Survey
AU  - F Aharonian
AU  - H Ashkar
AU  - Barbosa Martins
AU  - R Batzofin
AU  - Y Becherini
AU  - D Berge
AU  - K Bernlohr
AU  - M Bottcher
AU  - C Boisson
AU  - J Bolmont
AU  - F Brun
AU  - B Bruno
AU  - T Bulik
AU  - C Burger-Scheidlin
AU  - S Casanova
AU  - J Celic
AU  - M Cerruti
AU  - A Chen
AU  - M Chernyakova
AU  - J.O Chibueze
AU  - O Chibueze
AU  - B Cornejo
AU  - G Cotter
AU  - J. de Assis Scarpin
AU  - M. de Bony de Lavergne
AU  - M de Naurois
AU  - E de Ona Wilhelmi
AU  - A.G. Delgado Giler
AU  - J Djuvsland
AU  - A Dmytriiev
AU  - K Egberts
AU  - K Egg
AU  - C. Escanuela Nieves
AU  - M.D Filipovic
AU  - G Fontaine
AU  - S Funk
AU  - S Gabici
AU  - J.F Glicenstein
AU  - J Glombitza
AU  - P Goswami
AU  - B Hess
AU  - J.A Hinton
AU  - W Hofmann
AU  - T.L Holch
AU  - M Holler
AU  - M Jamrozy
AU  - F Jankowsky
AU  - I Jaroschewski
AU  - I Jung-Richardt
AU  - K Kasprzak
AU  - K Katarzynski
AU  - D Kerszberg
AU  - B Khelifi
AU  - N Komin
AU  - K Kosack
AU  - D Kostunin
AU  - R.G Lang
AU  - S Lazarevic
AU  - A Lemiere
AU  - J.-P Lenain
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/07
JO  - Physical Review Letters
DO  - 10.1103/d8tj-55kc
UR  - https://hal.science/hal-05733670v1
AB  - Spectral gamma-ray line features are expected as key signatures from dark matter (DM) annihilations of TeV-scale particle DM. Observations of the Galactic Centre with atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes are unique to probe thermal-relic TeV particle DM, well beyond the reach of direct detection and collider searches. We report here on the search for line signals in very-high-energy gamma rays using data from the Inner Galaxy Survey, consisting of 546 hours of H.E.S.S. observations of the inner few degrees of the Galactic Centre. No significant signal is detected. We then compute the exclusion limits on the annihilation line cross section ⟨ σv ⟩_line, with a two-dimensional log-likelihood ratio test statistics, exploiting spectral and spatial features of the DM signal. Assuming an Einasto DM density profile for the Milky Way, our results provide the most constraining limits so far, reaching ⟨ σv ⟩_line = 2.3 × 10^−28 and 2.4 × 10^−27 cm^3s^−1 for DM masses of 1 and 10 TeV, respectively. The present limits are used to constrain the widely searched Wino, Higgsino and Quintuplet models. For the first time, thermal Higgsino DM is probed for DM Milky Way models.
SN  - 0031-9007
SN  - 1079-7114
ER  -