Search for a photon peak from keV-scale dark matter annihilation with NuSTAR: Constraints on $\langle σv \rangle$ after 11 years of observations

Abstract

We report new constraints on the velocity-independent annihilation cross section $\langle σv \rangle$ of keV-scale dark matter particles based on 11 years of observations with the NuSTAR X-ray telescope. Using the unfocused stray light mode of the instrument, which provides a wide field-of-view and a stable instrumental background, we perform a sensitive search for photon signatures from dark matter annihilation in the Galactic halo. We model the resulting diffuse X-ray spectrum over the 3-20 keV energy range and search for line-like spectral features that may arise from the annihilation of dark matter particles into photons. No statistically significant excess over the expected astrophysical background is found. We therefore place upper limits on $\langle σv \rangle$ as a function of dark matter mass, assuming a velocity-independent s-wave annihilation and several Galactic dark matter profiles. Across most of the explored mass range our results provide the strongest X-ray constraints to date, reaching the level of $\langleσv\rangle \lesssim 10^{-33}$ -- $10^{-34}$ cm$^3$ s$^{-1}$, and they are complementary to the most recent bounds derived from SRG/ART-XC observations.