ANAIS

ANAIS is a particle detector experiment designed to detect dark matter. ANAIS stands for Annual modulation with NAI Scintillators. Its main goal is the direct detection of the dark matter through its scattering off the target nuclei in a radiopure NaI(Tl) crystal. This dark matter signal should be annually modulated by the change in the relative velocity of WIMP-nucleus, a result of the rotation of the Earth around the Sun.

ANAIS is the scaled conclusion of feasibility studies carried out with different prototypes by the University of Zaragoza group at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory, Spain. The complete experiment will use 250 kg of ultrapure sodium-iodine NaI(Tl) crystals. Data recording began at the end of October 2012 using 25 kg in two prototype detectors as the last step before launching the larger experiment.^[1][2]

DAMA/NaI and DAMA/LIBRA,^[3] experimental efforts performed at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory, accumulated more than thirteen annual cycles of data (also with NaI scintillators), obtaining a positive signal.^[4] Comparison of that result with negative results from other targets and experimental techniques is strongly model dependent. ANAIS (adopting the same target and technique that DAMA/LIBRA) appeared in the last roadmap of ApPEC^[5] (Astroparticle Physics European Coordination) to allow testing with an independent experimental set-up and in a model-independent way. At the beginning of 2015, the calibration and testing of 25-kg setup was successfully completed, and plans were put forward to increase detector mass to either 100 kg or directly to 250 kg.^[6]

See also

References

External links

• ANAIS Experiment
• Canfranc Underground Laboratory

Dark matter Forms of dark matter Baryonic dark matter Cold dark matter Hot dark matter Light dark matter Mixed dark matter Warm dark matter Self-interacting dark matter Hypothetical particles Axino Axion Chameleon particle Dark photon Holeum LSP Minicharged particle Neutralino Sterile neutrino SIMP WIMP Theories and objects Cuspy halo problem Dark fluid Dark galaxy Dark matter halo Dark radiation Dark star Dwarf galaxy problem ELKO field Halo mass function Massive compact halo object Mirror matter Navarro–Frenk–White profile Scalar field dark matter Search experiments Direct detection ANAIS ArDM ADMX CDEX CDMS COUPP CRESST DAMA/LIBRA DAMA/NaI DarkSide DEAP DMTPC DRIFT EDELWEISS EURECA KIMS LUX PandaX PICASSO SIMPLE UKDMC WARP XENON ZEPLIN-III Indirect detection AMS-02 ATIC CAST IceCube MOA OGLE PAMELA Other projects MultiDark PVLAS SNOLAB Potential dark galaxies HE0450-2958 HVC 127-41-330 Smith's Cloud VIRGOHI21 Related Galaxy formation and evolution Illustris project