Results from DAMA/LIBRA and perspectives

The DAMA/LIBRA experiment (about 250 kg of highly radiopure NaI(Tl)) is in operation at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the INFN. The main aim of the experiment is to further investigate the Dark Matter (DM) particles in the Galactic halo by exploiting the model independent DM annual modulation signature. At the time of this Workshop, the DAMA/LIBRA experiment and the former DAMA/NaI one (the first generation experiment having an exposed mass of about 100 kg) have released results corresponding to a total exposure of 1.17 ton × yr over 13 annual cycles; they have provided a model independent evidence of the presence of DM particles in the galactic halo at 8.9 $σ$ C.L.. The results of a further annual cycle, concluding the DAMA/LIBRA–phase1, have been released after this Workshop and are not included here. After the upgrade at fall 2010 when all the PMTs have been replaced with new ones having higher quantum efficiency, the feasibility to decrease the software energy threshold has been demonstrated and the setup is running in this new configuration, named DAMA/LIBRA–phase2