122785032
RESULTS AND DEVELOPMENTS WITH LARGE MASS HIGHLY RADIOPURE NaI(Tl) AT LNGS
The low background DAMA/NaI experiment (' 100 kg highly radiopure NaI(Tl)) at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the I.N.F.N. had the unique feature to effectively investigate the presence of Dark Matter particle in the galactic halo by exploiting the model independent annual modulation signature. This experiment has collected data over seven annual cycles for a total exposure of more than 10 kg × day and has pointed out at 6.3 σ C.L. a modulation effect satisfying all the many peculiarities of the signature. Neither systematics nor side reactions able to account for the observed effect were found. Several (but still few with respect to the many possibilities) corollary model dependent quests for the candidate particle have also been carried out. At present the second generation DAMA/LIBRA set-up (' 250 kg highly radiopure NaI(Tl)) is in operation. A R&D towards possible ultimate 1 ton NaI(Tl) experiment is also in progress.
17766827
Investigating electron interacting dark matter
Some extensions of the standard model provide dark matter candidate particles which can have a dominant coupling with the lepton sector of the ordinary matter. Thus, such dark matter candidate particles (chi(0)) can be directly detected only through their interaction with electrons in the detectors of a suitable experiment, while they are lost by experiments based on the rejection of the electromagnetic component of the experimental counting rate. These candidates can also offer a possible source of the 511 keV photons observed from the galactic bulge. In this paper this scenario is investigated. Some theoretical arguments are developed and related phenomenological aspects are discussed. Allowed intervals and regions for the characteristic phenomenological parameters of the considered model and of the possible mediator of the interaction are also derived considering the DAMA/NaI data.
119701812
Signals from dark Universe: DAMA/LIBRA at LNGS
The DAMA/LIBRA set-up (about 250 kg highly radiopure NaI(Tl) sensitive mass) is running at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the INFN. The first DAMA/LIBRA results point out the presence of a dark matter particle component in the galactic halo, as well as the former DAMA/NaI set-up; cumulatively the data support such evidence at 8.2σ CL and satisfy all the peculiarities of the dark matter annual modulation signature.
117048271
First DAMA/LIBRA Results and Beyond
The DAMA project is an observatory for rare processes and it is operative deep underground at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the I.N.F.N. Its main apparatus is the DAMA/LIBRA set-up, consisting of ≃250 kg highly radiopure NaI(Tl) detectors. Its first results — obtained by exploiting over four annual cycles the model independent annual modulation signature for Dark Matter (DM) particles — confirm by those of the former DAMA/NaI, supporting the evidence for Dark Matter presence in the galactic halo at 8.2 σ C.L.. The DAMA/NaI and DAMA/LIBRA data, in fact, satisfy all the many peculiarities of the DM annual modulation signature. Neither systematic effects nor side reactions able to account for the observed modulation amplitude and to contemporaneously satisfy all the several requirements of the DM signature are available. Future perspectives are also addressed.
118311956
DAMA investigations on Dark Matter at Gran Sasso: results and perspectives
The DAMA/NaI experiment (≃ 100 kg highly radiopure NaI(Tl)) at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the I.N.F.N. had the unique feature to effectively investigate the presence of Dark Matter particles in the galactic halo by exploiting the model independent annual modulation signature. A total exposure of more than 105 kg × day, collected over seven annual cycles, has pointed out at 6.3 σ C.L. an effect which satisfies all the many peculiarities of the signature. Neither systematics nor side reactions able to account for the observed effect were found. No experiment whose result can be directly compared in a model independent way with the experimental one of DAMA/NaI is available so far. Searches in space experiments are not in contradiction with DAMA/NaI. Several (but still few with respect to the possibilities) corollary model dependent quests for the candidate particle have also been carried out; others are in progress. At present the second generation DAMA/LIBRA set‐up (≃ 250 kg highly radiopure NaI(...
124862840
DIRECT DETECTION OF DARK MATTER PARTICLES
6798711
Deconstructed Higgsless models with one-site delocalization
In this note we calculate the form of electroweak corrections in deconstructed Higgsless models for the case of a fermion whose weak properties arise from two adjacent $SU(2)$ groups on the deconstructed lattice. We show that, as recently proposed in the continuum, it is possible for the value of the electroweak parameter $\ensuremath{\alpha}S$ to be small in such a model. In addition, by working in the deconstructed limit, we may directly evaluate the size of off-$Z$-pole electroweak corrections arising from the exchange of Kaluza-Klein modes; this has not been studied in the continuum. The size of these corrections is summarized by the electroweak parameter $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\delta}$. In one-site delocalized Higgsless models with small values of $\ensuremath{\alpha}S$, we show that the amount of delocalization is bounded from above, and must be less than 25% at 95% C.L. We discuss the relation of these calculations to our previous calculations in deconstructed Higgsless models, and to models of extended technicolor. We present numerical results for a four-site model, illustrating our analytic calculations.
119221143
Octahedral symmetry with geometrical breaking: New prediction for neutrino mixing angle theta(13) and CP violation
We propose octahedral group O-h as the family symmetry of the neutrino-lepton sector. We find that O-h contains subgroups Z(2)(mu tau) circle times Z(2)(s) and Z(4)(l) for realizing the bimaximal (BM) mixings theta(23) = theta(12) = 45 degrees, where Z(2)(mu tau) circle times Z(2)(s) and Z(4)(l) serve as the residual symmetries of neutrinos and charged leptons, respectively. We present geometric interpretations of BM mixing in the octahedron, and construct natural geometrical breaking of Z(4)(l), leading to nontrivial deviations from the BM mixings. Our theory makes truly simple predictions of a relatively large reactor angle, theta(13) similar or equal to 45 degrees - theta(12) = 7.5 degrees-13.7 degrees(3 sigma), the nearly maximal atmospheric angle and the approximate maximal Dirac CP violation. These agree well with the current neutrino data, and will be further probed by the on-going and upcoming oscillation experiments.
55815188
Probing Gravitational Dark Matter
So far all evidences of dark matter (DM) come from astrophysical and cosmological observations, due to gravitational interactions of the DM. It is possible that the true DM particle in the universe joins gravitational interactions only, but nothing else. Such a Gravitational DM (GDM) may act as a weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP), which is conceptually simple and attractive. In this work, we explore this direction by constructing the simplest scalar GDM particle s . It is a Z 2 odd singlet under the standard model (SM) gauge group, and naturally joins the unique dimension-4 interaction with Ricci curvature, s 2 R , where s is the dimensionless nonminimal coupling. We demonstrate that this gravitational interaction s 2 R , together with Higgs-curvature nonminimal coupling term h H y HR , induces eective couplings between 2 and SM elds, and can account for the observed DM thermal relic abundance. We analyze the annihilation cross sections of GDM particles and derive the viable parameter space for realizing the DM thermal relic density. We further study the direct/indirect detections and the collider signatures of such a scalar GDM. These turn out to be highly predictive and testable.
122894759
A detailed study of the interaction mechanisms for Si(Li) detector response functions by the direct Monte Carlo approach
Abstract A direct Monte Carlo (DMC) calculation of the complete response functions of Si(Li) detectors for low energy X-rays (keV) is proposed. Interaction mechanisms for X-rays in the sensitive volume of the detector and in the surrounding material are investigated in detail. Response functions at several energy values are calculated and compared with the corresponding experimental ones. The present approach uses a detailed simulation of individual interactions rather than the simple range formulation used by Gardner et al. [Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A242 (1986) 399] and gives better results in some cases. The physical model and calculation method presented here can be applied widely to low energy X-ray fluorescence analysis and other complicated photon spectrum analyses. In principle it is also suited for Ge detectors.
1004272
Neutrino-lepton masses, Zee scalars, and muon g-2.
Evidence for neutrino oscillations points to the existence of tiny but finite neutrino masses. Such masses may be naturally generated via radiative corrections in models, such as the Zee model, where a singlet Zee scalar plays a key role. We minimally extend the Zee model by including a right-handed singlet neutrino nu(R). The radiative Zee mechanism can be protected by a simple U(1)(X) symmetry involving only the nu(R) and a Zee scalar. We further construct a class of models with a single horizontal U(1)(FN) (à la Froggatt-Nielsen) such that the mass patterns of the neutrinos and leptons are naturally explained. We then analyze the muon anomalous magnetic moment (g(mu)-2) and the flavor changing mu-->egamma decay. The nu(R) interaction in our minimal extension is found to induce the BNL g(mu)-2 anomaly, with a light charged Zee scalar of mass 100-300 GeV.