The XMM Cluster Survey:new evidence for the 3.5 keV feature in clusters is inconsistent with a dark matter origin
| Autor: | R. D. Wilkinson, Matt Hilton, P. Rooney, Chris A. Collins, Tesla E. Jeltema, C. Vergara, Maria Manolopoulou, Pedro T. P. Viana, John P. Stott, A. Bermeo, Paul Giles, A. K. Romer, E. Swann, S. Rosborough, K. Sabirli, Julian A. Mayers, Sunayana Bhargava |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Sterile neutrino
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO) Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Dark matter Flux FOS: Physical sciences Astrophysics Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics 01 natural sciences Spectral line High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph) 0103 physical sciences Cluster (physics) Emission spectrum 010306 general physics 010303 astronomy & astrophysics QC Galaxy cluster Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics QB Physics High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE) Astronomy and Astrophysics High Energy Physics - Phenomenology Space and Planetary Science Halo Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics |
| ISSN: | 0035-8711 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/mnras/staa1829 |
| Popis: | There have been several reports of a detection of an unexplained excess of X-ray emission at $\simeq$ 3.5 keV in astrophysical systems. One interpretation of this excess is the decay of sterile neutrino dark matter. The most influential study to date analysed 73 clusters observed by the XMM-Newton satellite. We explore evidence for a $\simeq$ 3.5 keV excess in the XMM-PN spectra of 117 redMaPPer galaxy clusters ($0.1 < z < 0.6$). In our analysis of individual spectra, we identify three systems with an excess of flux at $\simeq$ 3.5 keV. In one case (XCS J0003.3+0204) this excess may result from a discrete emission line. None of these systems are the most dark matter dominated in our sample. We group the remaining 114 clusters into four temperature ($T_{\rm X}$) bins to search for an increase in $\simeq$ 3.5 keV flux excess with $T_{\rm X}$ - a reliable tracer of halo mass. However, we do not find evidence of a significant excess in flux at $\simeq$ 3.5 keV in any $T_{\rm X}$ bins. To maximise sensitivity to a potentially weak dark matter decay feature at $\simeq$ 3.5 keV, we jointly fit 114 clusters. Again, no significant excess is found at $\simeq$ 3.5 keV. We estimate the upper limit of an undetected emission line at $\simeq$ 3.5 keV to be $2.41 \times 10^{-6}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$, corresponding to a mixing angle of $\sin^2(2��)=4.4 \times 10^{-11}$, lower than previous estimates from cluster studies. We conclude that a flux excess at $\simeq$ 3.5 keV is not a ubiquitous feature in clusters and therefore unlikely to originate from sterile neutrino dark matter decay. 17 pages, 14 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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