on the unknown dark matter density within the inner parsecs of the Milky Way and on the properties of the astrophysical backgrounds present. If these characteristics are favorable, then the Galactic Center is very likely to be the most promising region of the sky to study. If not, other regions with high dark matter densities may be more advantageous.

Dwarf spheroidal galaxies within and near the Milky Way provide an opportunity to search for dark matter annihilation radiation with considerably less contamination from astrophysical backgrounds. The flux of gamma rays from dark matter annihilations in such objects, however, is also expected to be lower than from a cusp in the center of the Milky Way [@Evans:2003sc; @Bergstrom:2005qk; @Strigari:2007at]. As a result, planned experiments are likely to observe dark matter annihilation radiation from dwarf galaxies only in the most favorable range of particle physics models.

The integrated gamma ray signal from dark matter annihilations throughout the cosmological distribution of dark matter may also provide an opportunity to identify the products of dark matter annihilations. The ability of future gamma ray telescopes to identify a dark matter component of the diffuse flux depends strongly on the fraction of the extragalactic gamma ray 