The Contribution Of Inverse Compton Scattering To The Diffuse Extragalactic Gamma-Ray Background From Annihilating Dark Matter

Abstract

In addition to gamma-rays, dark matter annihilation products can include energetic electrons which inverse Compton scatter with the cosmic microwave background to produce a diffuse extragalactic background of gamma-rays and X-rays. In models in which the dark matter particles annihilate primarily to electrons or muons, the measurements of EGRET and COMPTEL can provide significant constraints on the annihilation cross section. The Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope will likely provide an even more stringent test of such scenarios.