Experimental constraints on a dark matter origin for the DAMA annual modulation effect

Aalseth, C. E.; Barbeau, P. S.; Cerdeno, D. G.; Colaresi, J.; Collar, J. I.; de Lurgio, P.; Drake, G.; Fast, J. E.; Greenberg, C. H.; Hossbach, T. W.; Kephart, J. D.; Marino, M. G.; Miley, H. S.; Orrell, J. L.; Reyna, D.; Robertson, R. G. H.; Talaga, R.; Tench, O.; Van Wechel, T. D.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Yocum, K. M.

Experimental constraints on a dark matter origin for the DAMA annual modulation effect

Authors

Description

A claim for evidence of dark matter interactions in the DAMA experiment has been recently reinforced. We employ a new type of germanium detector to conclusively rule out a standard isothermal galactic halo of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) as the explanation for the annual modulation effect leading to the claim. Bounds are similarly imposed on a suggestion that dark pseudoscalars mightlead to the effect. We describe the sensitivity to light dark matter particles achievable with our device, in particular to Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Model candidates.
v4: introduces recent results from arXiv:0807.3279 and arXiv:0807.2926. Sensitivity to pseudoscalars is revised in light of the first. Discussion on the subject added