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The DAMA project is an observatory for rare processes operating deep underground at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the I.N.F.N.. In particular, the main apparatus DAMA/LIBRA is mainly dedicated to the investigation of the presence of Dark Matter (DM) particles in the galactic halo by exploiting the model independent DM annual modulation signature. The present DAMA/LIBRA and the former DAMA/Nal (exposed masses: ≃250 kg and ≃ 100 kg of highly radiopure Nal(Tl), respectively) experiments have released so far a total exposure of 1.17tonxyr, collected over 13 annual cycles. They have obtained a positive model independent result for the presence of DM particles in the galactic halo at 8.9σ C.L.. Some of the obtained results are shortly summarized and future perspectives mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some extensions of the Standard Model provide Dark Matter candidate particles with sub-GeV mass. These Light Dark Matter particles have been considered for example in Warm Dark Matter scenarios (e.g. the keV scale sterile neutrino, axino or gravitino). Moreover, MeV scale DM candidates have been proposed in supersymmetric models and as source of the 511 keV line from the Galactic center. In this paper the possibility of direct detection of a Light Dark Matter candidate is investigated considering the inelastic scattering processes on the electron or on the nucleus targets. Some theoretical arguments are developed and related phenomenological aspects are discussed. Allowed volumes and regions for the characteristic phenomenological parameters of the considered scenarios are derived from the DAMA/NaI annual modulation data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]