LEVERAGING MULTI-MESSENGER ASTROPHYSICS FOR DARK MATTER SEARCHES
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This dissertation enhances the search for dark matter (DM) through a multi-wavelength and multi-messenger approach by combining data from leading gamma-ray and neutrino observatories. The first analysis combines data across five gamma-ray observatories, including the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory and four others. This foundational study probed the largest DM mass space that spans from 5 GeV up to 100 TeV. This collaboration achieved a threefold improvement in sensitivity to DM annihilation from dwarf galaxies. The collaborative framework developed among these five experiments also set a goal for including neutrino observatories in DM searches. Though no significant dark matter signals were detected, more stringent upper limits were set on the velocity-weighted annihilation cross-section, ⟨?v⟩. A pivotal aspect of the research involved developing new analytical methods within the IceCube Neutrino Observatory that achieved an order of magnitude increase in sensitivity for heavy dark matter annihilation. These improvements set the stage for multi-messenger dark matter searches with IceCube and gamma-ray observations. Within HAWC, computational methods were optimized to speed up the analysis pipeline by an order of magnitude. HAWC is therefore able to take on more ambitious DM searches and observe many more potential DM sources. The combined efforts from HAWC and IceCube form the basis for a novel multi-messenger strategy to probe dark matter annihilation searches. The research culminates in a preliminary mock limit from HAWC data and IceCube simulation. These analyses showcase the enhanced capability of detecting dark matter in the mass region above 1 PeV. With these two instruments alone, we could see two to threefold improvement to our sensitivity to heavy dark matter compared to these observatories searching for DM independently. This dissertation presents a comprehensive multi-instrument and multi-wavelength approach that provides a robust framework for future dark matter research. This work will be the foundation for a multi-messenger approach in the pursuit of unveiling the universe’s dark sector.
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Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Copyright Status
- Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
- Material Type
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Theses
- Authors
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Salazar-Gallegos, Daniel Nicolas
- Thesis Advisors
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Tollefson, Kirsten
- Committee Members
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Harding, James Patrick
O'Shae, Brian
Nunes, Filomena
Kopper, Claudio
- Date Published
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2024
- Program of Study
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Physics - Doctor of Philosophy
- Degree Level
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Doctoral
- Language
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English
- Pages
- 203 pages
- Embargo End Date
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July 31st, 2025
- Permalink
- https://doi.org/doi:10.25335/1cye-5e76
This item is not available to view or download until after July 31st, 2025. To request a copy, contact ill@lib.msu.edu.