Journal
ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS
Volume 29, Issue 5, Pages 307-316Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2008.02.005
Keywords
super heavy dark matter; ultra high energy cosmic rays; anisotropy
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Super heavy quasi-stable particles are naturally produced in the early universe and could represent a substantial fraction of the dark matter: the so-called super heavy dark matter (SHDM). The decay of SHDM represents also a possible source of ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECR), with a reliably calculated spectrum of the particles produced in the decay (proportional to E-1.9). The SHDM model for the production of UHECR can explain quantitatively only the excess of UHE events observed by AGASA. In the case of an observed spectrum not showing the AGASA excess the SHDM model can provide only a subdominant contribution to the UHECR flux. We discuss here the basic features of SHDM for the production of a subdominant UHECR flux, we refer our study to the possible signatures of the model at the Auger observatory discussing in particular the expected chemical composition and anisotropy. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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