Speaker
Description
Due to its proximity and high dark matter (DM) content, the Galactic Center (GC) is one of the preferred targets in the search for WIMP DM. Even in the absence of clear signals, GC observations can be used to set the best DM constraints. Despite the GC being a crowded region, rich in very diverse gamma-ray astrophysical emissions, thanks to both its expected flux and angular sensitivity, the forthcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) will prove to be the best tool for DM indirect searches in the TeV regime. In this work, we adopt state-of-the-art modeling of the GC astrophysical emission and, focusing on a wide range of cuspy and spiked DM density profile distributions, we show the expected sensitivity of CTAO to a DM annihilation signal within the inner 3.5 degrees of the GC. Furthermore, the template-fitting approach allows us to recover valuable information on the morphology of the DM density distribution in the inner ~500 parsecs of the GC.
| Main Contribution topic | Indirect detection |
|---|---|
| Secondary contribution topic | Astrophysical observations |