ANAIS–112 three years data: a sensitive model independent negative test of the DAMA/LIBRA dark matter signal

Coarasa, Iván (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Amaré, Julio (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Apilluelo, Jaime (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Cebrián, Susana (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Cintas, David ; García, Eduardo ; Martínez, María ; Oliván, Miguel Ángel ; Ortigoza, Ysrael ; Ortiz de Solórzano, Alfonso (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Pardo, Tamara (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Puimedón, Jorge (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Salinas, Ana ; Sarsa, María Luisa (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Villar, Patricia

Resumen: Weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) are well-motivated candidates for dark matter. One signature of galactic WIMPs is the annual modulation expected in a detector’s interaction rate, which arises from Earth’s revolution around the Sun. Over two decades, the DAMA/LIBRA experiment has observed such modulation with 250 kg of NaI(Tl) scintillators, in accordance with WIMP expectations but inconsistent with the negative results of other experiments. The signal depends on the target material, so to validate or refute the DAMA result, the experiment must be replicated using the same material. This is the goal of the ANAIS–112 experiment, currently underway since August 2017 with 112.5 kg of NaI(Tl). In this work, we present a reanalysis of three years of data employing an improved analysis chain to enhance the experimental sensitivity. The results presented here are consistent with the absence of modulation and inconsistent with DAMA’s observation at nearly 3σ confidence level, with the potential to reach a 5σ level within 8 years from the beginning of the data collection. Additionally, we explore the impact of different scintillation quenching factors in the comparison between ANAIS–112 and DAMA/LIBRA.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1038/s42005-024-01827-y

Año: 2024

Publicado en: Communications Physics 7, 1 (2024), 345 [12 pp.]
ISSN: 2399-3650

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/PID2022-138357NB-C21
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PID2019-104374GB-I00
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/Consolider-Ingenio/CSD2007-00042
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/Consolider-Ingenio2010-CSD2009-00064

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Técnica. Lab. y Talleres (Dpto. Física Teórica)
Área (Departamento): Área Óptica (Dpto. Física Aplicada)
Área (Departamento): Área Física Atóm.Molec.y Nucl. (Dpto. Física Teórica)

Dataset asociado: The ANAIS Experiment ( https://www.origins-cluster.de/odsl/dark-matter-data-center/available-datasets/anais)