Experimental constraints on a dark matter origin for the DAMA annual modulation effect.
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 as the explanation for the annual modulation effect leading to the claim. Bounds are similarly imposed on a suggestion that dark pseudoscalars might lead 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.
Aalseth
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Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
Barbeau
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Cerdeño
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Colaresi
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Collar
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de Lurgio
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Drake
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Fast
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Greenberg
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Hossbach
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Kephart
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Marino
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Miley
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Orrell
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Reyna
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Robertson
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Talaga
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Tench
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Van Wechel
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Wilkerson
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Yocum
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