DAMA/LIBRA results and perspectives of phase 2

The DAMA/LIBRA experiment, running at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the INFN, has a sensitive mass of about 250 kg highly radiopure Nal(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 x year 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. After the upgrade at fall 2010 when all the PMTs have been replaced with new ones having higher quantum efficiency, the feasibility to decrease the software energy threshold has been demonstrated and the set-up is running in this new configuration, named DAMA/LIBRA-phase2. The perspectives of DAMAILIBRA-phase2 will be shortly summarized. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.