DARK MATTER PARTICLES IN THE GALACTIC HALO: RESULTS AND IMPLICATIONS FROM DAMA/NaI

The DAMA/NaI experiment (≃100 kg highly radiopure NaI(Tl)) was proposed, designed and realized to effectively investigate in a model-independent way the presence of a Dark Matter particle component in the galactic halo by exploiting the annual modulation signature. With a total exposure of 107731 kg · day, collected over seven annual cycles deep underground at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the I.N.F.N., it has pointed out — at 6.3σC.L. — an effect which satisfies all the peculiarities of the signature and neither systematic effects nor side reactions able to mimic the signature were found. Moreover, several (but still few with respect to the possibilities) corollary model dependent quests for the candidate particle have been carried out. In this paper the obtained results are summarized and some perspectives are discussed at some extent.