MAGIC Telescopes

Oscar Blanch

The MAGIC telescopes delve into the Universe’s most violent phenomena by detecting gamma rays within the 50 GeV – 50 TeV energy range. In recent years, MAGIC has made notable contributions to understanding extreme astrophysical environments where VHE photons originate, as well as addressing fundamental physics questions.

INTRODUCTION

IFAE has been a key institute within the MAGIC Collaboration since its inception, holding significant management roles, including three Spokespersons. Presently, our focus lies more on the legacy and scientific utilization of MAGIC. For instance, C. Nigro leads the adaptation of data analysis to open formats and software. Despite reduced management involvement, we maintain responsibility for maintaining aspects of the data acquisition and analysis systems. Additionally, the MAGIC group at IFAE also built and operates the official MAGIC Data Center at the Port d’Informació Científica.

In 2023, the operation of the MAGIC telescopes proceeded smoothly. Alongside maintenance, operation and legacy tasks, our group concentrated on scientific exploitation. R. Grau led the effort for an unbiased determination of the Extragalactic background Light using VHE gamma-ray observations. M. Artero enhanced reaction protocols for MAGIC telescopes regarding neutrinos and gravitational waves. Furthermore, D. Kerszberg spearheaded the combined search for Dark Matter using current gamma-ray instruments.

Search for dark matter at the center of our home Galaxy with the MAGIC Telescopes

Although there is ample evidence from various astronomical observations, such as the rotation curves of galaxies, gravitational lensing, and the formation of structure throughout the Universe, indicating that the majority of matter in the Cosmos is of a vastly different type than the matter we encounter in our daily lives, the precise nature of this “dark matter” remains elusive. Physicists hypothesize that dark matter may consist of yet undiscovered particles beyond the Standard Model of physics, potentially leading to a deeper understanding of Nature. These particles primarily interact through gravity and possibly the weak force, lacking the characteristic ability to absorb or emit light that is typical of ordinary matter. Consequently, detecting any potential signature of dark matter is challenging. However, there remains hope, as some dark matter particles might interact with each other, potentially resulting in unique signatures, such as the emission of highly energetic light.

A total of 223 hours of observation with the MAGIC Telescopes, pointed to the center of the Milky Way, were dedicated to searching for signs of dark matter. The exceptional sensitivity of the MAGIC system at TeV-energies is crucial, given that the mass of dark matter particles, and thus the light emitted in their infrequent interactions, may lie within this energy range. TeV emission from particle interactions would indicate particles much heavier than those known within the Standard Model, serving as a compelling signature for dark matter.

To distinguish any potential signal from dark matter interactions from known astrophysical phenomena, the MAGIC scientists specifically targeted gamma-ray “lines”—light emitted within a narrow and specific range of energies. While these observations did not reveal any signs of elusive dark matter, they have helped constrain the possible properties of candidate particles.

Figure 1: Upper limits for four DM density profiles: the cuspy Einasto Galactic density profile, the NFW profile, a DM core and the Burkert fit , compared against the total ⟨σv⟩ corresponding to annihilation of two SUSY winos.