Phase-Space Distributions of Galactic Dark Matter Halos and Implications for Detection

This work focuses on models of galactic dark matter halos and observational prospects. We investigate the impact of careful computation of the phase-space density and velocity distribution of weakly-interacting massive particles, a major class of dark matter particle candidates, in the Milky Way. In particular, the possibility of a non-trivial velocity-dependence in the self-annihilation cross-section from the Sommerfeld effect is considered in indirect detection; we derive an upper limit on the local velocity dispersion and examine the significance of local anisotropy in the local dark matter distribution in direct detection efforts.