Indirect searches for dark matter annihilations toward dwarf spheroidal galaxies with VERITAS (1110.6615v2)

Abstract: In the cosmological paradigm, cold Dark Matter (DM) dominates the mass content of the Universe and is present at every scale. Candidates for DM include many extensions of the standard model, with a weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) in the mass range from 50 GeV to greater than 10 TeV. The self-annihilation of WIMPs in astrophysical regions of high DM density can produce secondary particles, including very high energy (VHE) gamma rays, with energies up to the dark matter particle mass. The VERITAS array of Cherenkov telescopes, designed for the detection of VHE gamma rays in the 100 GeV-10 TeV energy range, is an appropriate instrument for the detection of DM and is complementary to Fermi-LAT. Dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) of the Local Group are potentially the best targets to search for the annihilation signature of DM due to their proximity and large DM content. We report on the latest VERITAS observations of dSphs and discuss the results in the framework of WIMP models.