Investigations on particle DArk MAtter and other rare processes with highly radiopure scintillators @ Gran Sasso

DAMA is an observatory for rare processes, based on the developments and use of highly radiopure scintillators. It has also been a pioneer activity in the direct investigation of Dark Matter particles in the galactic halo. In particular, the 1st generation DAMA/NaI (~100 kg highly radiopure NaI(Tl) set-up pointed out over 7 annual cycles (exposure: 0.29 ton x year) a model independent evidence for the presence of Dark Matter particles in the galactic halo with high confidence level. The 2nd generation experiment DAMA/LIBRA (~250 kg highly radiopure NaI(Tl)) set-up has recently confirmed this model independent result over the first four annual cycles (exposure: 0.53 ton x year) also at high confidence level (8.2 standard deviation for the cumulative exposure of 0.82 ton x year). No experiment whose results can be directly compared in a model independent way with these ones is available in the field. The first upgrading of DAMA/LIBRA has occurred in September 2008.
Other experiments are running and/or in preparation; in particular, the pioneer DAMA/LXe pure liquid Xenon scintillator (filled with Kr-free Xenon enriched either in 129Xe or in 136Xe), the low background DAMA/R&D (for small scale exps.) set-up and DAMA/Ge. Moreover, an R&D towards a possible DAMA/1ton (DAMA proposed since 1996) is in progress.