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Gammaldi, V., Zaldivar, B., Sanchez-Conde, M. A., & Coronado-Blazquez, J. (2023). A search for dark matter among Fermi-LAT unidentified sources with systematic features in machine learning. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc., 520(1), 1348–1361.
Abstract: Around one-third of the point-like sources in the Fermi-LAT catalogues remain as unidentified sources (unIDs) today. Indeed, these unIDs lack a clear, univocal association with a known astrophysical source. If dark matter (DM) is composed of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), there is the exciting possibility that some of these unIDs may actually be DM sources, emitting gamma-rays from WIMPs annihilation. We propose a new approach to solve the standard, machine learning (ML) binary classification problem of disentangling prospective DM sources (simulated data) from astrophysical sources (observed data) among the unIDs of the 4FGL Fermi-LAT catalogue. We artificially build two systematic features for the DM data which are originally inherent to observed data: the detection significance and the uncertainty on the spectral curvature. We do it by sampling from the observed population of unIDs, assuming that the DM distributions would, if any, follow the latter. We consider different ML models: Logistic Regression, Neural Network (NN), Naive Bayes, and Gaussian Process, out of which the best, in terms of classification accuracy, is the NN, achieving around 93 . 3 per cent +/- 0 . 7 per cent performance. Other ML evaluation parameters, such as the True Ne gativ e and True Positive rates, are discussed in our work. Applying the NN to the unIDs sample, we find that the de generac y between some astrophysical and DM sources can be partially solved within this methodology. None the less, we conclude that there are no DM source candidates among the pool of 4FGL Fermi-LAT unIDs.
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Addazi, A. et al, Martinez-Mirave, P., Mitsou, V. A., Palomares-Ruiz, S., Tortola, M., & Zornoza, J. D. (2022). Quantum gravity phenomenology at the dawn of the multi-messenger era-A review. Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys., 125, 103948–119pp.
Abstract: The exploration of the universe has recently entered a new era thanks to the multi-messenger paradigm, characterized by a continuous increase in the quantity and quality of experimental data that is obtained by the detection of the various cosmic messengers (photons, neutrinos, cosmic rays and gravitational waves) from numerous origins. They give us information about their sources in the universe and the properties of the intergalactic medium. Moreover, multi-messenger astronomy opens up the possibility to search for phenomenological signatures of quantum gravity. On the one hand, the most energetic events allow us to test our physical theories at energy regimes which are not directly accessible in accelerators; on the other hand, tiny effects in the propagation of very high energy particles could be amplified by cosmological distances. After decades of merely theoretical investigations, the possibility of obtaining phenomenological indications of Planck-scale effects is a revolutionary step in the quest for a quantum theory of gravity, but it requires cooperation between different communities of physicists (both theoretical and experimental). This review, prepared within the COST Action CA18108 “Quantum gravity phenomenology in the multi-messenger approach”, is aimed at promoting this cooperation by giving a state-of-the art account of the interdisciplinary expertise that is needed in the effective search of quantum gravity footprints in the production, propagation and detection of cosmic messengers.
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HAWC Collaboration(Albert, A. et al), & Salesa Greus, F. (2021). Evidence of 200 TeV Photons from HAWC J1825-134. Astrophys. J. Lett., 907(2), L30–9pp.
Abstract: The Earth is bombarded by ultrarelativistic particles, known as cosmic rays (CRs). CRs with energies up to a few PeV (=10(15) eV), the knee in the particle spectrum, are believed to have a Galactic origin. One or more factories of PeV CRs, or PeVatrons, must thus be active within our Galaxy. The direct detection of PeV protons from their sources is not possible since they are deflected in the Galactic magnetic fields. Hundred TeV gamma-rays from decaying pi(0), produced when PeV CRs collide with the ambient gas, can provide the decisive evidence of proton acceleration up to the knee. Here we report the discovery by the High Altitude Water Cerenkov (HAWC) observatory of the gamma-ray source, HAWC J1825-134, whose energy spectrum extends well beyond 200 TeV without a break or cutoff. The source is found to be coincident with a giant molecular cloud. The ambient gas density is as high as 700 protons cm(-3). While the nature of this extreme accelerator remains unclear, CRs accelerated to energies of several PeV colliding with the ambient gas likely produce the observed radiation.
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Balibrea-Correa, J., Lerendegui-Marco, J., Babiano-Suarez, V., Caballero, L., Calvo, D., Ladarescu, I., et al. (2021). Machine Learning aided 3D-position reconstruction in large LaCl3 crystals. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 1001, 165249–17pp.
Abstract: We investigate five different models to reconstruct the 3D gamma-ray hit coordinates in five large LaCl3(Ce) monolithic crystals optically coupled to pixelated silicon photomultipliers. These scintillators have a base surface of 50 x 50 mm(2) and five different thicknesses, from 10 mm to 30 mm. Four of these models are analytical prescriptions and one is based on a Convolutional Neural Network. Average resolutions close to 1-2 mm fwhm are obtained in the transverse crystal plane for crystal thicknesses between 10 mm and 20 mm using analytical models. For thicker crystals average resolutions of about 3-5 mm fwhm are obtained. Depth of interaction resolutions between 1 mm and 4 mm are achieved depending on the distance of the interaction point to the photosensor surface. We propose a Machine Learning algorithm to correct for linearity distortions and pin-cushion effects. The latter allows one to keep a large field of view of about 70%-80% of the crystal surface, regardless of crystal thickness. This work is aimed at optimizing the performance of the so-called Total Energy Detector with Compton imaging capability (i-TED) for time-of-flight neutron capture cross-section measurements.
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HAWC Collaboration(Albert, A. et al), & Salesa Greus, F. (2020). HAWC and Fermi-LAT Detection of Extended Emission from the Unidentified Source 2HWC J2006+341. Astrophys. J. Lett., 903(1), L14–6pp.
Abstract: The discovery of the TeV point source 2HWC J2006+341 was reported in the second HAWC gamma-ray catalog. We present a follow-up study of this source here. The TeV emission is best described by an extended source with a soft spectrum. At GeV energies, an extended source is significantly detected in Fermi-LAT data. The matching locations, sizes, and spectra suggest that both gamma-ray detections correspond to the same source. Different scenarios for the origin of the emission are considered and we rule out an association to the pulsar PSR J2004+3429 due to extreme energetics required, if located at a distance of 10.8 kpc.
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