Sommerfeld Enhancement and Gamma-Ray Excess
Analysis
This paper investigates the Sommerfeld enhancement mechanism in dark matter annihilation as a possible explanation for the observed gamma-ray excess in the Milky Way halo. It proposes a model with a light scalar mediator that can reconcile the observed excess with constraints from other observations like dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The work is significant because it explores a specific particle physics model to address a potential dark matter signal.
Key Takeaways
- •The paper explores the Sommerfeld enhancement as a possible explanation for the gamma-ray excess.
- •It proposes a model with a light scalar mediator.
- •The model is consistent with thermal freeze-out, the Milky Way excess, and dwarf spheroidal galaxy constraints.
“A minimal model with a light CP-even scalar mediator naturally produces a velocity-dependent annihilation cross section consistent with thermal freeze-out, the Milky Way excess, and limits from dwarf spheroidal galaxies.”