04/30/02
Moultaka Gilbert LPMT-Montpellier
Universite Montpellier II, Place E. Bataillon, SF2A- PCHE-
34690 Montpellier, France
Presentation 1 : Oral
Supersymmetric dark matter in M31: can one see neutralino annihilation with CELESTE?
A.Falvard, E.Giraud, A.Jacholkowska, K.Jedamzik, J.Lavalle,G.Moultaka, E.Nuss, F.Piron, P.Salati, M.Sapinski, R.Taillet
It is widely believed that dark matter exists within galaxies and clusters of galaxies. Under the assumption that this dark matter is composed of the lightest, stable supersymmetric particle, i.e. neutralinos, the feasibility of its indirect detection via observations of a diffuse gamma-ray signal due to neutralino annihilations within M31 is examined. To this end, first the dark matter halo of the close spiral galaxy M31 is modeled from observations,then the resultant gamma-ray flux is estimated within some supersymmetric model configurations. It is concluded that under favorable conditions a neutralino annihilation gamma-ray signal may be seen by theongoing observations of M31 with CELESTE. (PCHE)