SPACE seminar: Marco Chianese - "Probing super-heavy dark matter with ultra-high-energy gamma rays"

Tuesday 10 Feb 2026, 12:00 → 13:00 Europe/Rome

Aula 4 (San Marcellino)

Speaker: Marco Chianese (Scuola Superiore Meridionale)

Abstract: We refine the constraints on the lifetime of decaying super-heavy dark matter particles (SHDM), with masses ranging from $10^7$ to $10^{15}$ GeV, by analyzing ultra-high-energy (UHE) gamma-ray data. Our approach involves an accurate comparison of the primary gamma-ray emissions resulting from prompt SHDM decays in the galactic halo with the most recent upper limits on isotropic UHE gamma-ray fluxes provided by various extensive air shower experiments. We demonstrate that a precise consideration of the field of view and the geometric acceptance of different UHE gamma-ray observatories has significant implications for the inferred limits of dark matter lifetime. In addition, we examine the influence of uncertainties linked to the current models of the galactic dark matter distribution, employing diverse halo density profiles while varying both their radial extent and the local dark matter density. Our findings indicate that the newly established UHE gamma-ray constraints are marginally less stringent than earlier evaluations, thereby revisiting the SHDM parameter space and allowing for observable neutrino fluxes.

Zoom link: click here

References: arxiv:2601.11703

This work has been carried out by Sara Cesare, Vincenzo M. Grieco, Valentina Nasti, Francesca Spinnato, and Alessandro Tiano in the context of the course "Introduction to Astroparticle Physics", taught by Marco Chianese and Ninetta Saviano, and offered by the PhD program "Cosmology, Space Science & Space Technology (SPACE)" at the Scuola Superiore Meridionale (SSM).