High-significance detection of correlation between the unresolved gamma-ray background and the large-scale cosmic structure

Thakore, B.; Negro, M.; Regis, M.; Camera, S.; Gruen, D.; Fornengo, N.; Roodman, A.; Porredon, A.; Schutt, T.; Cuoco, A.; Alarcon, A.; Amon, A.; Bechtol, K.; Becker, M. R.; Bernstein, G. M.; Campos, A.; Carnero Rosell, A.; Carrasco Kind, M.; Cawthon, R.; Chang, C.; Chen, R.; Choi, A.; Cordero, J.; Davis, C.; DeRose, J.; Diehl, H. T.; Dodelson, S.; Doux, C.; Drlica-Wagner, A.; Eckert, K.; Elvin-Poole, J.; Everett, S.; Ferté, A.; Gatti, M.; Giannini, G.; Gruendl, R. A.; Harrison, I.; Hartley, W. G.; Huff, E. M.; Jarvis, M.; Kuropatkin, N.; Leget, P. -F.; MacCrann, N.; McCullough, J.; Myles, J.; Navarro-Alsina, A.; Pandey, S.; Prat, J.; Raveri, M.; Rollins, R. P.; Ross, A. J.; Rykoff, E. S.; Sánchez, C.; Secco, L. F.; Sevilla-Noarbe, I.; Sheldon, E.; Shin, T.; Troxel, M. A.; Tutusaus, I.; Yanny, B.; Yin, B.; Zhang, Y.; Aguena, M.; Brooks, D.; Carretero, J.; da Costa, L. N.; Davis, T. M.; De Vicente, J.; Desai, S.; Doel, P.; Flaugher, B.; Frieman, J.; García-Bellido, J.; Gaztanaga, E.; Gutierrez, G.; Hinton, S. R.; Hollowood, D. L.; Honscheid, K.; James, D. J.; Kuehn, K.; Lahav, O.; Lee, S.; Lima, M.; Marshall, J. L.; Mena-Fernández, J.; Miquel, R.; Ogando, R. L. C.; Palmese, A.; Pieres, A.; Plazas Malagón, A. A.; Samuroff, S.; Sanchez, E.; Sanchez Cid, D.; Smith, M.; Suchyta, E.; Tarle, G.; Vikram, V.; Walker, A. R.; Weaverdyck, N.
Bibliographical reference

Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

Advertised on:
6
2025
Number of authors
99
IAC number of authors
1
Citations
0
Refereed citations
0
Description
Our understanding of the γ-ray sky has improved dramatically in the past decade, however, the unresolved γ-ray background (UGRB) still has a potential wealth of information about the faintest γ-ray sources pervading the Universe. Statistical cross-correlations with tracers of cosmic structure can indirectly identify the populations that most characterize the γ-ray background. In this study, we analyze the angular correlation between the γ-ray background and the matter distribution in the Universe as traced by gravitational lensing, leveraging more than a decade of observations from the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) and 3 years of data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We detect a correlation at signal-to-noise ratio of 8.9. Most of the statistical significance comes from large scales, demonstrating, for the first time, that a substantial portion of the UGRB aligns with the mass clustering of the Universe as traced by weak lensing. Blazars provide a plausible explanation for this signal, especially if those contributing to the correlation reside in halos of large mass (∼ 1014 M ⊙) and account for approximately 30–40% of the UGRB above 10 GeV. Additionally, we observe a preference for a curved γ-ray energy spectrum, with a log-parabolic shape being favored over a power-law. We also discuss the possibility of modifications to the blazar model and the inclusion of additional γ-ray sources, such as star-forming galaxies, misalinged active galactic nuclei, or particle dark matter.