Constraining $p$-wave Dark Matter Annihilation with Gamma-ray Observations of M87

Abstract: We consider constraints on $p$-wave dark matter in a dark matter spike surrounding the supermassive black hole at the center of M87. Owing to the large mass of the black hole, and resulting large velocity dispersion for the dark matter particles in the spike, it is possible for Fermi-LAT and MAGIC data to place tight constraints on $p$-wave annihilation, which would be far more stringent than those placed by observations of dwarf spheroidal galaxies. Indeed, for optimistic choices of the spike parameters, gamma-ray data would exclude thermal $p$-wave dark matter models with a particle mass $\lesssim {10}~\rm TeV$. But there is significant uncertainty in the properties and parameters of the spike, and for less optimistic scenarios, thermal dark matter candidates would be completely unconstrained. In addition to better understanding the spike parameters, a second key to improving constraints on dark matter annihilation is an accurate astrophysical background model.