Abstract
Experimental efforts and theoretical developmens support that most of the Universe is Dark and a large fraction of it should be made of relic particles; many possibilities are open on their nature and interaction types. In particular, the DAMA/LIBRA experiment at Gran Sasso Laboratory (sensitive mass: ~250 kg) is mainly devoted to the investigation of Dark Matter (DM) particles in the Galactic halo by exploiting the model independent DM annual modulation signature with higly radiopure Na I(Tl) targets. DAMA/LIBRA is the succesor of the first generation DAMA/NaI (sensitive mass: ~100 kg); cumulatively the two experiments have released so far the results obtained by analyzing an exposure of 1.17 t yr, collected over 13 annual cycles. The data show a model independent evidence of the presence of DM particles in the galactic halo at 8.9σ confidence level (C.L.). Some of the already achieved results are shortly reminded, the last upgrade occurred at fall 2010 is mentioned and future perspectives are sumarized.
Highlights
About one century of experimental efforts and of theoretical developments has pointed out that most of our Universe is Dark and that a large fraction of it should be in form of relic particles
There are many open aspects, having large impact on model dependent investigations and comparisons, as e.g. which is the right description of the dark halo and related parameters, which is the right related atomic/nuclear and particle physics, etc. as well as the fundamental question on how many kinds of Dark Matter (DM) particles exist in the Universe
The experiments at accelerators could prove the existence of some possible DM candidate particles, but they could never credit by themselves that a certain particle is in the halo as a solution or the only solution for DM particle(s)
Summary
About one century of experimental efforts and of theoretical developments has pointed out that most of our Universe is Dark and that a large fraction of it should be in form of relic particles.
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