Gr.IV seminar: Javier Reynoso-Cordova - "Searching for dark matter with extragalactic non-thermal emission"

Wednesday 4 Mar 2026, 16:00 → 17:00 Europe/Rome

The existence and nature of Dark Matter remains one of the great open questions in astrophysics, cosmology, and particle physics. Although its existence is well established through gravitational evidence, no confirmed non-gravitational interaction with the Standard Model has been observed. Among the most theoretically motivated candidates are Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), which in many scenarios can annihilate or decay into charged particles. In environments permeated by magnetic fields, these particles produce synchrotron radiation that can be detected at radio frequencies.

 

Most indirect searches have concentrated on prompt gamma-ray emission. However, radio observations offer high angular resolution and detailed morphological information, allowing a spatially resolved study of the emission and improving the ability to distinguish a potential dark matter signal from conventional astrophysical backgrounds.

In this work, I present recent predictions of synchrotron emission from several extragalactic targets where dark matter is expected to dominate the mass distribution. Focusing exclusively on the radio band, I discuss the implications of these results for current and upcoming facilities such as the Square Kilometre Array, and evaluate their potential to constrain WIMP properties through radio observations alone.