Search for Dark Matter signatures with MAGIC-I and prospects for MAGIC Phase-II

See http://wwwmagic.mppmu.mpg.de/collaboration/members/Abstract. In many Dark Matter (DM) scenarios,the annihilation of DM particles can produce gammarays with a continuum spectrum that extends up tovery high energies of the order of the electroweaksymmetry breaking scale (hundreds of GeV).Astrophysical structures supposed to be dynamicallydominated by DM, such as dwarf Spheroidal Galax-ies, Galaxy Clusters (the largest ones in the localUniverse being mostly observable from the northernhemisphere) and Intermediate Mass Black Holes, canbe considered as interesting targets to look for DMannihilation with Imaging Atmospheric CherenkovTelescopes (IACTs). Instead, the center of our Galaxyseems to be strongly contaminated with astrophysicalsources.The 17m Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray ImagingCherenkov (MAGIC-I) Telescope, situated in the Ca-nary island of La Palma (2200 m a.s.l.), is best suitedfor DM searches, due to its unique combination ofhigh sensitivity and low energy threshold amongcurrent IACTs which can potentially allow to provideclues on the high energy end, and possibly peak, ofthe gamma-ray DM-induced spectrum constrained atlower energies with the Fermi Space Telescope.The recent results achieved by MAGIC-I for someof the best candidates, as well as the DM detectionprospects for the MAGIC Phase II, are reported.Keywords: MAGIC, Dark Matter, Dwarf GalaxiesI. I