KiDS-Legacy: WIMP dark matter constraints from the cross-correlation of weak lensing and Fermi-LAT gamma rays

Abstract

Dark matter dominates the matter content of the Universe, and its properties can be constrained through large-scale structure probes such as the cross-correlation between the unresolved gamma-ray background (UGRB) and weak gravitational lensing. We analysed 15 years of Fermi-LAT data, constructing UGRB intensity maps in ten energy bins (0.5-1000 GeV), and cross-correlated them with KiDS-Legacy shear in six tomographic bins. The measurements were performed using angular power spectra estimated with the pseudo-$C_\ell$ method. No significant cross-correlation is found. Based on this non-detection, we present 95% upper bounds on the weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) decay rate $Γ_{\rm dec}$ and velocity-averaged annihilation cross-section $\langleσ_{\rm ann} v\rangle$ as functions of mass. We compare our results with bounds from other cosmological tracers and from local probes, and found them to be complementary, particularly at low masses ($\rm GeV/TeV$). In addition, using a Euclid-like lensing survey cross-correlated with Fermi-LAT, we forecast $\sim$2 times tighter limits, highlighting the potential of forthcoming data to strengthen constraints on dark matter annihilation and decay.