Abstract
The DAMA/LIBRA experiment (~ 250 kg sensitive mass composed by highly radio-pure NaI(Tl)) is in data taking in the underground Laboratory of Gran Sasso (LNGS). In its first phase (DAMA/LIBRA-phase1) this experiment and the former DAMA/NaI experiment (~ 100 kg of highly radio-pure NaI(Tl)) collected data for 14 independent annual cycles, exploiting the model-independent Dark Matter (DM) annual modulation signature (total exposure 1.33 ton x yr). A DM annual modulation effect has been observed at 9.3 σ C.L., supporting the presence of DM particles in the galactic halo. No systematic or side reaction able to mimic the observed DM annual modulation has been found or suggested by anyone. Recent analyses on possible diurnal effects, on the Earth shadowing effect and on possible interpretation in terms of Mirror DM will be mentioned. At present DAMA/LIBRA is running in its phase2 with increased sensitivity.
Highlights
The DAMA project is based on the development and use of low background scintillators
At present DAMA/LIBRA is running in its phase2 with increased sensitivity
The results obtained by investigating the presence of possible diurnal variation in the low-energy single-hit scintillation events collected by DAMA/LIBRA–phase1 have been analysed in terms of a Dark Matter (DM) second order model-independent effect due to the Earth diurnal rotation around its axis [14]
Summary
The DAMA project is based on the development and use of low background scintillators. EPJ Web of Conferences the two velocities are opposite) This DM annual modulation signature is very effective since the effect induced by DM particles must simultaneously satisfy many requirements: the rate must contain a component modulated according to a cosine function (1) with one year period (2) and a phase peaked roughly ≃ 2 June (3); this modulation must only be found in a well-defined low energy range, where DM particle induced events can be present (4); it must apply only to those events in which just one detector of many “fires” (single-hit events), since the DM particle multi-interaction probability is negligible (5); the modulation amplitude in the region of maximal sensitivity must be ≃ 7% for usually adopted halo distributions (6), but it can be larger (even up to ≃ 30%) in case of some possible scenarios such as e.g. those in Ref. For completeness we recall that other rare processes have been searched for by DAMA/LIBRA-phase; see for details Refs. [9,10,11]
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