Unidentified line in X-ray spectra of the andromeda galaxy and perseus galaxy cluster

TY - JOUR

T1 - Unidentified line in X-ray spectra of the andromeda galaxy and perseus galaxy cluster

AU - Boyarsky, A.

AU - Ruchayskiy, O.

AU - Iakubovskyi, D.

AU - Franse, J.

PY - 2014/12/15

Y1 - 2014/12/15

N2 - We report a weak line at 3.52±0.02keV in x-ray spectra of the Andromeda galaxy and the Perseus galaxy cluster observed by the metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) and p-n (PN) CCD cameras of the XMM-Newton telescope. This line is not known as an atomic line in the spectra of galaxies or clusters. It becomes stronger towards the centers of the objects; is stronger for Perseus than for M31; is absent in the spectrum of a deep "blank sky" data set. Although for each object it is hard to exclude that the feature is due to an instrumental effect or an atomic line, it is consistent with the behavior of a dark matter decay line. Future (non-)detections of this line in multiple objects may help to reveal its nature.

AB - We report a weak line at 3.52±0.02keV in x-ray spectra of the Andromeda galaxy and the Perseus galaxy cluster observed by the metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) and p-n (PN) CCD cameras of the XMM-Newton telescope. This line is not known as an atomic line in the spectra of galaxies or clusters. It becomes stronger towards the centers of the objects; is stronger for Perseus than for M31; is absent in the spectrum of a deep "blank sky" data set. Although for each object it is hard to exclude that the feature is due to an instrumental effect or an atomic line, it is consistent with the behavior of a dark matter decay line. Future (non-)detections of this line in multiple objects may help to reveal its nature.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84919724940&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.251301

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.251301

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84919724940

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 113

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 25

M1 - 251301

ER -