High Energy Physics Seminar

Past studies have identified a spatially extended excess of ~1-3 GeV gamma rays from the Galactic Center and inner Galaxy, consistent with the emission expected from annihilating thermal relic dark matter. I will describe recent improvements in the characterization of this signal, which demonstrate that it is spherically symmetric, centered on the Galactic Center, detectable out to 10 degrees from the Galactic Center, and with a spatial profile consistent with annihilation from a cusped NFW profile. I will discuss the implications of a dark matter interpretation, and the challenges for possible astrophysical explanations