ANAIS-112 status: two years results on annual modulation

J Amaré,I Coarasa,M.A Oliván,S Cebrián,E García,M Martínez,A Salinas,P Villar,M.L Sarsa,J Puimedón,Y Ortigoza,A Ortiz De Solórzano,D Cintas

doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1468/1/012014

Abstract

ANAIS (Annual modulation with Nal Scintillators) is a dark matter direct detection experiment located at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC), in Spain. The goal is to confirm or refute in a model independent way the DAMA/LIBRA positive result: an annual modulation in the low-energy detection rate compatible with the expected signal induced by dark matter particles in the galactic halo. This signal, observed for about 20 years, is in strong tension with the negative results of other very sensitive experiments, but a direct comparison using the same target material, NaI(Tl), was still lacking. ANAIS-112, consisting of 112.5 kg of NaI(Tl) scintillators, is taking data at the LSC since August 2017. Here we present the preliminary annual modulation analysis corresponding to two years of data (exposure of 220.69 kg×y) and the ANAIS-112 projected sensitivity for the scheduled 5 y of operation.

Highlights

Large experimental efforts devoted to unraveling the nature of the dark matter (DM) particles have been carried out, either by direct [1], indirect [2] or accelerator searches [3], which are complementary to each other
The goal is to confirm or refute in a model independent way the DAMA/LIBRA positive result: an annual modulation in the low-energy detection rate compatible with the expected signal induced by dark matter particles in the galactic halo
The DAMA/LIBRA collaboration has been claiming the observation of an annual modulation in the detection rate, which fulfills all of the requirements expected for the contribution of weakly interacting DM particles, distributed in the Milky Way halo

Summary

Introduction

Large experimental efforts devoted to unraveling the nature of the dark matter (DM) particles have been carried out, either by direct [1], indirect [2] or accelerator searches [3], which are complementary to each other. ANAIS (Annual modulation with NaI Scintillators) is a dark matter direct detection experiment located at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC), in Spain. The goal is to confirm or refute in a model independent way the DAMA/LIBRA positive result: an annual modulation in the low-energy detection rate compatible with the expected signal induced by dark matter particles in the galactic halo.

Results

Conclusion