VERITAS Limits on Dark Matter Annihilation in the Galactic Center Halo
Abstract
Well-motivated models of particle dark matter predict its self-annihilation into Standard Model end states, which may be detected by particle detectors or telescopes. We conduct an indirect dark matter search using gamma rays detected by the VERITAS telescope from within 2∘ of the Galactic Center. A template-based approach is used for background estimation, increasing our sensitivity to sources of gamma-ray emission with spatial extents comparable to the 3.5∘ VERITAS field of view. The analysis benefits from data taken exclusively at large zenith angles, which results in an increased effective area at energies above ~1 TeV, compared to small zenith angle observations. No significant gamma-ray signal is observed in the search region, resulting in upper limits on the end-state-dependent dark matter annihilation cross sections. Cross sections as low as ⟨ σann v⟩ = 1.77× 10−25 cm3 s−1 are excluded at 95% confidence assuming complete annihilation into τ+ τ-, an Einasto profile, and a dark matter mass of 1 TeV.
Versions
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BibTeX
@misc{archer2026veritas,
title = {{VERITAS Limits on Dark Matter Annihilation in the Galactic Center Halo}},
author = {A. Archer and P. Bangale and J. T. Bartkoske and W. Benbow and N. R. Bond and J. H. Buckley and Y. Chen and J. L. Christiansen and A. J. Chromey and A. Duerr and M. Errando and M. Escobar Godoy and J. Escudero Pedrosa and S. Feldman and Q. Feng and S. Filbert and L. Fortson and A. Furniss and W. Hanlon and O. Hervet and C. E. Hinrichs and J. Holder and D. Huang and T. B. Humensky and M. Iskakova and W. Jin and E. Joshi and M. Kertzman and M. Kherlakian and D. Kieda and T. K. Kleiner and N. Korzoun and S. Kundu and M. J. Lang and M. Lundy and G. Maier and M. R. Martin and P. Moriarty and R. Mukherjee and W. Ning and M. Ohishi and R. A. Ong and A. Pandey and M. Pohl and J. Quinn and P. L. Rabinowitz and K. Ragan and P. T. Reynolds and E. Roache and J. L. Ryan and I. Sadeh and L. Saha and H. Salzmann and M. Santander and G. H. Sembroski and D. Tak and J. V. Tucci and V. V. Vassiliev and D. A. Williams and S. L. Wong},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.39865},
eprint = {2610.39865},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.39865},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - VERITAS Limits on Dark Matter Annihilation in the Galactic Center Halo
AU - A. Archer
AU - P. Bangale
AU - J. T. Bartkoske
AU - W. Benbow
AU - N. R. Bond
AU - J. H. Buckley
AU - Y. Chen
AU - J. L. Christiansen
AU - A. J. Chromey
AU - A. Duerr
AU - M. Errando
AU - M. Escobar Godoy
AU - J. Escudero Pedrosa
AU - S. Feldman
AU - Q. Feng
AU - S. Filbert
AU - L. Fortson
AU - A. Furniss
AU - W. Hanlon
AU - O. Hervet
AU - C. E. Hinrichs
AU - J. Holder
AU - D. Huang
AU - T. B. Humensky
AU - M. Iskakova
AU - W. Jin
AU - E. Joshi
AU - M. Kertzman
AU - M. Kherlakian
AU - D. Kieda
AU - T. K. Kleiner
AU - N. Korzoun
AU - S. Kundu
AU - M. J. Lang
AU - M. Lundy
AU - G. Maier
AU - M. R. Martin
AU - P. Moriarty
AU - R. Mukherjee
AU - W. Ning
AU - M. Ohishi
AU - R. A. Ong
AU - A. Pandey
AU - M. Pohl
AU - J. Quinn
AU - P. L. Rabinowitz
AU - K. Ragan
AU - P. T. Reynolds
AU - E. Roache
AU - J. L. Ryan
AU - I. Sadeh
AU - L. Saha
AU - H. Salzmann
AU - M. Santander
AU - G. H. Sembroski
AU - D. Tak
AU - J. V. Tucci
AU - V. V. Vassiliev
AU - D. A. Williams
AU - S. L. Wong
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.39865
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.39865
AB - Well-motivated models of particle dark matter predict its self-annihilation into Standard Model end states, which may be detected by particle detectors or telescopes. We conduct an indirect dark matter search using gamma rays detected by the VERITAS telescope from within 2^∘ of the Galactic Center. A template-based approach is used for background estimation, increasing our sensitivity to sources of gamma-ray emission with spatial extents comparable to the 3.5^∘ VERITAS field of view. The analysis benefits from data taken exclusively at large zenith angles, which results in an increased effective area at energies above ~1 TeV, compared to small zenith angle observations. No significant gamma-ray signal is observed in the search region, resulting in upper limits on the end-state-dependent dark matter annihilation cross sections. Cross sections as low as ⟨ σ_ann v⟩ = 1.77× 10^−25 cm^3 s^−1 are excluded at 95% confidence assuming complete annihilation into τ^+ τ^-, an Einasto profile, and a dark matter mass of 1 TeV.
ER -