2006/08/08 by Francesc Ferrer, Tanmay Vachaspati · 10 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astroparticle physics #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Bulge #Cosmic ray #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Galactic Center #Galaxy #Gamma ray #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Line (geometry) #Milky Way #Physics #Satellite #Satellite galaxy #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1142/s0218271807011802
published in International Journal of Modern Physics D 16(12b), 2399-2405 (World Scientific) · 7 pages. Talk given by T. Vachaspati at the workshop 'From Quantum to Cosmos: Fundamental Physics Research in Space', Washington, D. C., May 2006
arxiv created 2006/08/08 · openalex publication_date 2007/12/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Observations of the Milky Way by the SPI/INTEGRAL satellite have confirmed the presence of a strong 511 keV gamma ray line emission from the bulge, which requires an intense source of positrons in the galactic center. These observations are hard to account for by conventional astrophysical scenarios, whereas other proposals, such as light DM, face stringent constraints from the diffuse gamma ray background. Here we suggest that light superconducting strings could be the source of the observed 511 keV emission. The associated particle physics, at the ~ 1 TeV scale, is within the reach of planned accelerator experiments, while the distinguishing spatial distribution, proportional to the galactic magnetic field, could be mapped by SPI or by future, more sensitive satellite missions.