Abstract.
Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) remain a theoretically compelling and extensively studied class of candidates for the particle nature of Dark Matter. This seminar provides an overview of the current experimental landscape, with a particular focus on indirect detection strategies based on gamma-ray observations. The so-called “master formula” for the expected gamma-ray flux is introduced, emphasizing the connection between astrophysical J-factors and particle-physics annihilation cross sections.
The performance of current instruments such as Fermi-LAT and H.E.S.S. is briefly reviewed and contrasted with the projected capabilities of the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), especially in the high-mass WIMP regime. The central part of the seminar is devoted to original results from two recent studies employing CTAO sensitivity projections. Constraints on Effective Field Theory (EFT) operators are obtained from the analysis of γγ and γZ final states, leading to updated bounds on the effective energy scale Λ and a discussion of the prospects for future searches in the multi-TeV range.
(The slides will be available here)