First Analysis of Jupiter in Gamma Rays and a New Search for Dark Matter

Area of Science:

• Astrophysics and particle physics, focusing on dark matter detection and planetary science.

Background:

• Jupiter's unique properties, including its large size and cool core, make it a promising target for detecting dark matter (DM).
• Previous searches for dark matter have not fully exploited Jupiter's potential as a capture and annihilation site.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct the first dedicated gamma-ray analysis of Jupiter using Fermi Telescope data.
• To search for dark matter-sourced gamma rays originating from Jupiter's annihilation products.
• To constrain dark matter-proton scattering cross sections using Jupiter as a probe.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 12 years of gamma-ray data from the Fermi Telescope.
• Setting upper limits on Jovian gamma-ray flux.
• Developing a new search strategy for dark matter annihilation into long-lived particles within Jupiter.

Main Results:

• No robust evidence for gamma-ray emission from Jupiter was found, with upper limits set at ~10^-9 GeV cm^-2 s^-1.
• Constrained dark matter-proton scattering cross sections down to ~10^-40 cm^2 for sub-GeV dark matter.
• Demonstrated Jupiter's potential sensitivity to dark matter, exceeding direct detection methods by up to 10 orders of magnitude under specific assumptions.

Conclusions:

• Jupiter serves as a powerful, complementary probe for sub-GeV dark matter, particularly when DM annihilates into long-lived particles.
• The study motivates future MeV gamma-ray telescope observations (e.g., AMEGO, e-ASTROGAM) for enhanced dark matter searches in the solar system.
• This research highlights the importance of astrophysical environments for dark matter detection strategies.