Searching for Dark Matter-Can it be directly detected?

We briefly review some theoretical issues involved in the direct detection of supersymmetric (SUSY) dark matter. After a brief discussion of the allowed SYSY parameter space we focus on the determination of the traditional neutralino detection rates, in experiments which measure the energy of the recoiling nucleus, such as the coherent and spin induced rates and the dependence of the rate on the motion of the Earth (modulation effect). Then we examine the novel features appea...

Various issues related to the direct detection of supersymmetric dark matter are reviewed. Such are: 1) Construction of supersymmetric models with a number of parameters, which are constrained from the data at low energies as well as cosmological observations. 2) A model for the nucleon, in particular the dependence on the nucleon cross section on quarks other than u and d. 3) A nuclear model, i.e. the nuclear form factor for the scalar interaction and the spin response funct...

Since the expected rates for neutralino-nucleus scattering are expected to be small, one should exploit all the characteristic signatures of this reaction. Such are: (i) In the standard recoil measurements the modulation of the event rate due to the Earth's motion. (ii) In directional recoil experiments the correlation of the event rate with the sun's motion. One now has both modulation, which is much larger and depends not only on time, but on the direction of observation as...

We review various issues related to the direct detection of constituents of dark matter, which are assumed to be Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). We specifically consider heavy WIMPs such as: 1) The lightest supersymmetric particle LSP or neutralino. 2) The lightest Kaluza-Klein particles in theories of extra dimensions and 3) other extensions of the standard model. In order to get the event rates one needs information about the structure of the nucleon as well a...

Exotic dark matter together with the vacuum energy (associated with the cosmological constant) seem to dominate in the Universe. Thus its direct detection is central to particle physics and cosmology. Supersymmetry provides a natural dark matter candidate, the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP). Furtheremore from the knowlegde of the density and velocity distribution of the LSP, the quark substructure of the nucleon and the nuclear structure (form factor and/or spin respo...

The recent WMAP data have confirmed that exotic dark matter together with the vacuum energy (cosmological constant) dominate in the flat Universe. Thus the direct dark matter detection, consisting of detecting the recoiling nucleus, is central to particle physics and cosmology. Supersymmetry provides a natural dark matter candidate, the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP). The relevant cross sections arise out of two mechanisms: i) The coherent mode, due to the scalar inte...

Exotic dark matter together with dark energy or cosmological constant seem to dominate in the Universe. An even higher density of such matter seems to be gravitationally trapped in our Galaxy. The nature of dark matter can be unveiled only, if it is detected in the laboratory. Thus the accomplishment of this task is central to physics and cosmology. Current fashionable supersymmetric models provide a natural dark matter candidate, which is the lightest supersymmetric particle...

Exotic dark matter together with the vacuum energy (cosmological constant) seem to dominate in the flat Universe. Thus direct dark matter detection is central to particle physics and cosmology. Supersymmetry provides a natural dark matter candidate, the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP). It is possible to obtain detectable rates, but realystically they are expected to be much lower than the present experimental goals. So one should exploit two characteristic signatures o...

There is almost universal agreement among astronomers that most of the mass in the Universe and most of the mass in the Galactic halo is dark. Many lines of reasoning suggest that the dark matter consists of some new, as yet undiscovered, weakly-interacting massive particle (WIMP). There is now a vast experimental effort being surmounted to detect WIMPS in the halo. The most promising techniques involve direct detection in low-background laboratory detectors and indirect dete...

Direct and indirect detection rates of relic neutralinos are reviewed in the framework of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. The theoretical estimates are compared with the most recent experimental limits from low-background detectors and neutrino telescopes. The properties of neutralino under the hypothesis that preliminary experimental results of the DAMA/NaI Collaboration may be indicative of a yearly modulation effect are examined.