Diffuse Gamma Rays from WIMP Decay and Annihilation

Abstract

I discuss contributions to the diffuse gamma-ray background from decay and annihilation of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). I first review the calculation of the cosmological abundance of a WIMP and show that it is simply related to the cross section for annihilation of the WIMP into lighter particles. The diffuse extragalactic background radiation (DEBRA) from WIMP decay is then discussed. I show how observational upper limits to the DEBRA can be used to constrain properties of WIMPs that decay to photons, and I present additional new constraints that unitarity of the annihilation cross section imposes on such particles. I then discuss gamma rays from annihilation of WIMPs in the halo, spheroid, and disk of our galaxy, as well as those from WIMP annihilation in the Large Magellanic Cloud. (To appear in The Gamma Ray Sky with Compton GRO and SIGMA, proceedings of the School, Les Houches, France, January 25-February 4, 1994.)