Search for dark matter annihilation in the earth using the ANTARES neutrino telescope

Abstract

A search for a neutrino signal from WIMP pair annihilations in the centre of the Earth has been performed with the data collected with the ANTARES neutrino telescope from 2007 to 2012. The event selection criteria have been developed and tuned to maximise the sensitivity of the experiment to such a neutrino signal. No significant excess of neutrinos over the expected background has been observed. Upper limits at 90% C.L. on the WIMP annihilation rate in the Earth and the spin independent scattering cross-section of WIMPs to nucleons View the MathML source were calculated for WIMP pair annihilations into either t+t-, W+W-, View the MathML source or the non-SUSY View the MathML source as a function of the WIMP mass (between View the MathML source and View the MathML source) and as a function of the thermally averaged annihilation cross section times velocity <sAv>Earth of the WIMPs in the centre of the Earth. For masses of the WIMP close to the mass of iron nuclei (View the MathML source), the obtained limits on View the MathML source are more stringent than those obtained by other indirect searches.