Search

The existence of time correlations in detectors separated by distances much larger than the size of the highest energy extensive air showers (EAS) has been long discussed over the years. Several mechanisms have been proposed to justify the existence of such events and, in the last decade, some experiments have also tried to search for correlations on a large scale distance, beyond one hundred kilometers. The approaches were based on the construction of clusters of detectors placed at large relative distances, with the capability of selecting extensive air showers.

The deuteron (D) over proton (p) flux ratio in cosmic rays (CR) is one of the most valuable tools for understanding the propagation of CR in the galaxy and constrain the models that describe it. In this work, two new preliminary measurement of D/p flux ratios is presented, each obtained from the data of the AMS-02 experiment.

The Extreme Energy Events (EEE) project is an extended array for cosmic rays survey. It was conceived by Antonino Zichichi and supported by the Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche “Enrico Fermi” with the collaboration of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), of the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) and of the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR). This experiment is aimed to study cosmic rays of extreme high energy, and related phenomena. To achieve this goal, a network of nearly 50 muon telescopes has been installed in high schools, distributed throughout the Italian territory, either as single stations or clusters. During the second coordinated run of data taking, which ended in May 2016, 25 billion muon tracks were detected and reconstructed. This huge amount of data, allows us to undertake various studies: the dependence of the local muon flux on solar activity; the sky anisotropy on sub-TeV scale; event correlations, due to EAS, between clustered telescopes at distances from a few hundred meters to over a kilometre. The status of the project and some results will be presented.

The Extreme Energy Events (EEE) Project is a Centro Fermi - CERN - INFN - MIUR Collaboration Project, for the study of extremely high-energy cosmic rays, which exploits the Multigap Resistive Plate Chamber (MRPC) technology. The excellent time resolution and good tracking capability of this detector allows us to study Extensive Air Showers (EAS) with an array of telescopes distributed all over the Italian territory. Each telescope is installed in a High School, with the additional goal to introduce students to particle and astroparticle Physics. The EEE array is composed, so far, of 47 telescopes, each made of three MRPC planes, spanning more than 10 degrees in latitude and 11 in longitude, organized in clusters and single telescope stations. The status of the experiment and the results, obtained during two recent coordinated data taking periods, will be reported. The observation of Forbush decreases, coincidence events among different telescopes and the muon decay, using more than 5 billion tracks collected in the last few months, are of particular interest.

The significance of neuron specific enolase (NSE) was investigated in comparison with other tumor markers (CEA, CT, CA 15-3) used in the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of lung cancer.As previously described, the calcitonin assay proved to have very low sensitivity for small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The serum NSE assay was, however, shown to be a useful diagnostic aid for discrimination between histologically different lung cancers, and therefore this assay may be a valuable tool for treatment monitoring in SCLC patients.CA 15-3, also an unspecific marker, showed similar sensitivity to the NSE assay in SCLC patients, the sensitivity being higher than CEA in non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

The present DAMA/LIBRA experiment and the former DAMA/NaI have cumulatively released so far the results obtained with the data collected over 13 annual cycles (total exposure: 1.17 ton per year). They give a model independent evidence of the presence of dark matter particles in the galactic halo on the basis of the dark matter annual modulation signature at 8.9 σ C.L. for the cumulative exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DAMA/NaI experiment (≃ 100 kg highly radiopure NaI(Tl)) at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the I.N.F.N. had the unique feature to effectively investigate the presence of Dark Matter particle in the galactic halo by exploiting the model independent annual modulation signature. With a total exposure of more than 105 kg × day, collected over seven annual cycles, it has pointed out at 6.3 σ C.L. an effect which satisfies all the many peculiarities of the signature. Neither systematics nor side reactions able to account for the observed effect were found. No experiment whose result can be directly compared in a model independent way with the experimental one of DAMA/NaI is available so far. Several (but still few with respect to the possibilities) corollary model dependent quests for the candidate particle have also been carried out. At present the second generation DAMA/LIBRA set-up (≃ 250 kg highly radiopure NaI(Tl)) is in operation. Positive model dependent hints have also been pointed out by indirect searches for Dark Matter particles in space experiments and are not in contradiction with DAMA/NaI. Thus, the ongoing of model independent experiment deep underground and the new space experiments foreseen in incoming years will certainly further increase our knowledge of the field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As a result of about five years of new developments, the second-generation LIBRA (Large sodium Iodide Bulk for RAre processes) set-up of the DAMA experiment has been realized and installed in the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the I.N.F.N.. It is made of ≃250 kg low-background NaI(Tl) detectors and has been operative since March 2003. It works as an observatory for rare processes and is mainly devoted to further investigation on the dark matter particle component in the galactic halo. New R&D efforts toward a possible NaI(Tl) ton set-up, which we proposed in 1996, have been funded and started in 2003. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

DAMA is searching for rare processes by developing and using several kinds of radiopure scintillators: in particular, NaI(TI), liquid Xenon and CaF2(Eu). Here only the results released so far on the WIMP annual modulation signature are shortly summarized. Next perspectives are briefly mentioned. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

DAMA is searching for rare processes by developing and using several kinds of radiopure scintillators: in particular, NaI(Tl), liquid Xenon and CaF2(Eu). Here more recent results are summarized with particular attention to the investigation of the WIMP annual modulation signature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The ≃ 100 kg highly radiopure NaI(Tl) set-up of the DAMA project (DAMA/NaI) has investigated the model- independent WIMP annual modulation signature over seven annual cycles for a total exposure of 107731 kg × day, obtaining a model-independent evidence for the presence of a dark matter particle component in the galactic halo at 6.3 σ C.L.. Some of the many possible corollary model-dependent quests for the candidate particle have been investigated with the total exposure as well. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

DAMA experiment is an observatory for rare events mainly devoted to WIMP search at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the I.N.F.N.. In this paper, the results obtained with the ⋍ 100 kg NaI(Tl) set-up will be summarized, pointing out in particular those regarding the investigation of the WIMP annual modulation signature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]