Dark matter direct detection

Abstract

Solving the Dark Matter enigma represents one of the key objectives of contemporary physics. Recent astrophysical and cosmological measurements have unambiguously demonstrated that ordinary matter contributes to less than 5% of the energy budget of our Universe, and that the nature of the remaining 95% is unknown. Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) represent the best motivated candidate to fill the Dark Matter gap, and direct detection Dark Matter experiments have recently reached sensitivities allowing them to sample a first part of supersymmetric models compatible with accelerator constraints. Three cryogenic experiments currently provide the best sensitivity, by nearly one order of magnitude, to WIMP interactions. With systematic uncertainties far less severe than other present techniques, the next generation of cryogenic experiments promises two orders of magnitude increase in sensitivity over the next few years. The present results, perspectives and experimental strategies of the main direct detection experiments are presented. Challenges met by future ton-scale cryogenic experiments in deep underground sites, aiming at testing most of the SUSY parameter space, are critically discussed. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.