Deep XMM observations of Draco rule out at the 99 per cent confidence level a dark matter decay origin for the 3.5 keV line

Abstract

We searched for an X-ray line at energies around 3.5 keV in deep, ~1.6 Ms XMM-Newton observations of the dwarf spheroidal galaxy Draco. No line was found in either the Metal Oxide Semi-conductor (MOS) or the p-type/n-type semiconductor (PN) detectors. The data in this energy range are completely consistent with a single, unfolded power-law modelling the particle background, which dominates at these energies, plus instrumental lines; the addition of a ~3.5 keV line feature gives no improvement to the fit. The corresponding upper limit on the line flux rules out a dark matter decay origin for the 3.5 keV line found in observations of clusters of galaxies and in the Galactic Centre at greater than 99 per cent confidence level.