Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to the Detection of a Dark Matter Signal in comparison to Direct Detection and Collider Experiments

Csaba Balázs, Jan Conrad, Ben Farmer, Thomas Jacques, Tong Li, Manuel Meyer, Farinaldo S. Queiroz, Migual A. Sánchez-Conde

Published 2017-06-05Version 1

Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) that are sensitive to potential $\gamma$-ray signals from dark-matter (DM) annihilation above $\sim50$ GeV will soon be superseded by the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). CTA will have a point source sensitivity an order of magnitude better than currently operating IACTs and will cover a broad energy range between 20 GeV and 300 TeV. Using effective field theory and simplified models to calculate $\gamma$-ray spectra resulting from DM annihilation, we compare the prospects to constrain such models with CTA observations of the Galactic center with current and near-future measurements at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and direct detection experiments. For DM annihilations via vector or pseudo-scalar couplings, CTA observations will be able to probe DM models out of reach of the LHC, and, if DM is coupled to standard fermions by a pseudo-scalar particle, beyond the limits of current direct detection experiments.