DAMA/NaI Experiment

The DAMA/NaI experiment has been proposed, designed and realized with the main aim to investigate in a model independent way the presence of Dark Matter particles in the galactic halo by exploiting the distinctive annual modulation signature (see elsewhere). Furthermore, thanks to its radiopurity and to the data taking extended from single photoelectron up to the MeV region (despite the optimization was performed for the lowest energy region), it has allowed both to investigate also other approaches for Dark Matter investigations and several other rare processes.

Main procedures followed in the data taking for the investigation of the annual modulation signature:

  • Data taking of each annual cycle starts from autumn/winter (when cosω(t-t0)~0) toward summer (maximum expected).
  • Routine calibrations for energy scale determination, for acceptance windows efficiencies by means of radioactive sources each ~10 days collecting typically ~105 evts/keV/detector + intrinsic calibration from 210Pb (~ 7 days periods) + periodical Compton calibrations, etc.
  • Continuous on-line monitoring of all the running parameters with automatic alarm to operator if any out of allowed range.