Ядерна фізика та енергетика Nuclear Physics and Atomic Energy   ISSN: 1818-331X (Print), 2074-0565 (Online)   Publisher: Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine   Languages: Ukrainian, English, Russian   Periodicity: 4 times per year   Open access peer reviewed journal

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R. Bernabei^1,2,*, P. Belli^1,2, A. Bussolotti², F. Cappella^3,4, V. Caracciolo⁵, R. Cerulli^1,2, C. J. Dai⁶, A. d’Angelo^3,4, A. Di Marco², H. L. He⁶, A. Incicchitti^3,4, X. H. Ma⁶, A. Mattei⁴, V. Merlo^1,2, F. Montecchia^2,7, X. D. Sheng⁶, Z. P. Ye<sup>6,8

1</sup> Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
² INFN, sez. Roma "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
³ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
⁴ INFN, Sezione di Roma, Rome, Italy
⁵ INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi, Italy
⁶ Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China
⁷ Dipartimento Ingegneria Civile e Ingegneria Informatica, Università di Roma "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
⁸ University of Jinggangshan, Ji'an, Jiangxi, P.R. China

^*Corresponding author. E-mail address: rita.bernabei@roma2.infn.it

Abstract: The first model independent results obtained by the DAMA/LIBRA-phase2 experiment are presented. The data have been collected over 6 annual cycles corresponding to a total exposure of 1.13 t×yr, deep underground at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) of the I.N.F.N. The DAMA/LIBRA-phase2 apparatus, ≃250 kg highly radio-pure NaI(Tl), profits from a second generation high quantum efficiency photomultipliers and of new electronics with respect to DAMA/LIBRA-phase1. The improved experimental configuration has also allowed to lower the software energy threshold. New data analysis strategies are presented. The DAMA/LIBRA-phase2 data confirm the evidence of a signal that meets all the requirements of the model independent Dark Matter (DM) annual modulation signature, at 9.5σ C.L. in the energy region (1 - 6) keV. In the energy region between 2 and 6 keV, where data are also available from DAMA/NaI and DAMA/LIBRA-phase1 (exposure 1.33 t×yr, collected over 14 annual cycles), the achieved C.L. for the full exposure (2.46 t×yr) is 12.9σ; the modulation amplitude of the single-hit scintillation events is: (0.0103 ± 0.0008) cpd/kg/keV, the measured phase is (145 ± 5) d and the measured period is (0.999 ± 0.001) yr, all these values are well in agreement with those expected for DM particles. No systematics or side reaction able to mimic the exploited DM signature (i.e. to account for the whole measured modulation amplitude and to simultaneously satisfy all the requirements of the signature), has been found or suggested by anyone throughout some decades thus far.

Keywords: scintillation detectors, elementary particle processes, Dark Matter.

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