Technical aspects in dark matter investigations

Some theoretical and experimental aspects regarding the direct dark matter field are mentioned. In particular some arguments, which play a relevant role in the evaluation of model dependent interpretations of experimental results and in comparisons, are shortly addressed

A few final comments to arXiv:1210.7548[hep-ph]

A few final comments on arXiv:1210.7548 are given to confute incorrect arguments claimed there

DAMA/LIBRA results and perspectives

The DAMA/LIBRA experiment, running at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the I.N.F.N. in Italy, has a sensitive mass of about 250 kg highly radiopure NaI(Tl). It is mainly devoted to the investigation of Dark Matter (DM) particles in the Galactic halo by exploiting the model independent DM annual modulation signature. The present DAMA/LIBRA experiment and the former DAMA/NaI one (the first generation experiment having an exposed mass of about 100 kg) have released so far results corresponding to a total exposure of 1.17 ton yr over 13 annual cycles. They provide a model independent evidence of the presence of DM particles in the galactic halo at 8.9 sigma C.L.. A short summary of the obtained results is presented and future perspectives of the experiment mentioned

Comment on "On an unverified nuclear decay and its role in the DAMA experiment" (arXiv:1210.5501)

We briefly remind references and arguments, already discussed in the past, which confute erroneous claims in arXiv:1210.5501

Dark Matter investigation by DAMA at Gran Sasso

Experimental observations and theoretical arguments at Galaxy and larger scales have suggested that a large fraction of the Universe is composed by Dark Matter particles. This has motivated the DAMA experimental efforts to investigate the presence of such particles in the galactic halo by exploiting a model independent signature and very highly radiopure set-ups deep underground. Few introductory arguments are summarized before presenting a review of the present model independent positive results obtained by the DAMA/NaI and DAMA/LIBRA set-ups at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the INFN. Implications and model dependent comparisons with other different kinds of results will be shortly addressed. Some arguments put forward in literature will be confuted

Absorption of TeV Photons and κκ-deformed Poincaré algebra

We consider the process of collision between a hard photon and a soft photon producing an electron-positron pair, under the assumption that the kinematics be described according to the $\kappa$-deformation of the D=4 Poincar\'{e} algebra. We emphasize the relevance of this analysis for the understanding of the puzzling observations of multi-TeV photons from Markarian 501. We find a significant effect of the $\kappa$-deformation for processes above threshold, while, in agreement with a previous study, we find that there is no leading-order deformation of the threshold condition

Frame Dependence of the Pair Contribution to the Pion Electromagnetic Form Factor in a Light-Front Approach

The frame dependence of the pair-term contribution to the electromagnetic form factor of the pion is studied within the Light Front approach. A symmetric ansatz for the pion Bethe-Salpeter amplitude with a pseudo scalar coupling of the constituent to the pion field is used. In this model, the pair term vanishes for the Drell-Yan condition, while it is dominant for momentum transfer along the light-front direction

Measurement of the absolute branching ratio of the K+→π+π−π+(γ) decay with the KLOE detector

The absolute branching ratio of the K+→π+π−π+(γ) decay, inclusive of final-state radiation, has been measured using ∼17 million tagged K+ mesons collected with the KLOE detector at DAΦNE, the Frascati ϕ -factory. The result is: BR(K+→π+π−π+(γ))=0.05565±0.00031stat±0.00025syst a factor ≃ 5 more precise with respect to the previous result. This work completes the program of precision measurements of the dominant kaon branching ratios at KLOE

Search for light vector boson production in e+e−→μ+μ−γ interactions with the KLOE experiment

We have searched for a light vector boson U , the possible carrier of a “dark force”, with the KLOE detector at the DAΦNE e+e− collider, motivated by astrophysical evidence for the presence of dark matter in the Universe. Using e+e− collisions collected with an integrated luminosity of 239.3 pb −1 , we look for a dimuon mass peak in the reaction e+e−→μ+μ−γ , corresponding to the decay U→μ+μ− . We find no evidence for a U vector boson signal. We set a 90% CL upper limit for the mixing parameter squared between the photon and the U boson of 1.6×10−5 to 8.6×10−7 for the mass region 520<mU<980 MeV

Study of the Dalitz decay ϕ→ηe+e− with the KLOE detector

We have studied the vector to pseudoscalar conversion decay ϕ→ηe+e− , with η→π0π0π0 , with the KLOE detector at DA Φ NE. The data set of 1.7 fb−1 of e+e− collisions at s∼Mϕ contains a clear conversion decay signal of ∼31,000 events from which we measured a value of BR(ϕ→ηe+e−)=(1.075±0.007±0.038)×10−4 . The same sample is used to determine the transition form factor by a fit to the e+e− invariant mass spectrum, obtaining bϕη=(1.28±0.10−0.08+0.09) GeV−2 , that improves by a factor of five the precision of the previous measurement and is in good agreement with VMD expectations