Observations of Very High Energy (VHE) gamma ray sources using the ground-based Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) play a pivotal role in understanding the non-thermal energetic phenomena and acceleration processes under extreme astrophysical conditions. However, detection of the VHE gamma ray signal from the astrophysical sources is very challenging, as these telescopes detect the photons indirectly by measuring the flash of Cherenkov light from the Extensive Air Showers (EAS) initiated by the cosmic gamma rays in the Earth’s atmosphere. This requires fast detection systems, along with advanced data acquisition and analysis techniques to measure the development of extensive air showers and the subsequent segregation of gamma ray events from the huge cosmic ray background, followed by the physics analysis of the signal. Here, we report the development of a python-based package for analyzing the data from the Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE), which is operational at Hanle in India. The Python-based MACE data Analysis Package (PyMAP) analyzes data by using advanced methods and machine learning algorithms. Data recorded by the MACE telescope are passed through different utilities developed in the PyMAP to extract the gamma ray signal from a given source direction. We also propose a new image cleaning method called DIOS (Denoising Image of Shower) and compare its performance with the standard image cleaning method. The working performance of DIOS indicates an advantage over the standard method with an improvement of ≈$25\%$ in the sensitivity of MACE.

Searching for very-high-energy photons arising from dark matter interactions in selected astrophysical environments is a promising strategy to probe the existence and particle nature of dark matter. Among the many particle candidates, motivated by the extensions of the Standard Model, Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) are considered the most compelling candidate for the elusive dark matter in the universe. In this contribution, we report an overview of the important developments in the field of indirect searching for dark matter through cosmic gamma-ray observations. We mainly focus on the role of atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes in probing the dark matter. Finally, we emphasize the opportunities for the Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) situated in Hanle, India, to explore WIMPs in the mass range of 200 GeV to 10 TeV for Segue1 and Draco dwarf–spheroidal galaxies.

Understanding the nature of dark matter (DM) and its detection remains one of the most significant unsolved problems in astroparticle physics and cosmology. Considerable efforts have been devoted to the detection of DM through both direct and indirect approaches. Gamma-ray observations offer a powerful probe for the indirect detection of DM. In particular, the spectral features of gamma rays produced through DM interactions are strongly dependent on the underlying annihilation channels into the Standard Model (SM) particles. In this work, we investigate the role of annihilation branching fractions in determining the $\gamma$-ray emission from dark matter within the framework of the Inert Doublet Model (IDM). The lightest neutral inert scalar, which serves as a viable DM candidate, can annihilate into various SM particles, including fermions, gauge bosons, and Higgs bosons, depending on DM mass and the model parameters. We analyze how the branching fractions into these final states influence the resulting $\gamma$-ray spectra and fluxes. Our study demonstrates that different dominant annihilation channels produce distinct spectral features, significantly affecting the predicted high-energy $\gamma$-ray signals. By examining the dependence of $\gamma$-ray emission on the branching behavior of DM within IDM, we identify regions of parameter space that can provide better experimental constraints while remaining consistent with the relic density requirements. The results highlight the importance of annihilation branching fractions in interpreting indirect detection signals and provide insights into distinguishing DM within IDM from other weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) scenarios. This work underscores the potential of $\gamma$-ray observations as a sensitive probe of the IDM parameter space and its underlying annihilation dynamics. Variations in the branching ratios directly influence the resulting $\gamma$-ray spectra, thereby affecting the prospects for indirect search of DM with the ground-based $\gamma$-ray telescopes such as the Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE).