Experiments aiming at direct detection of dark matter

Abstract:

We present a review of existing and planned dark matter direct detection experiments. The emphasis is on principle limitations for this detection technique and resulting consequences for future projects. We argue that the near future experiments, CDMS and HDMS, will give such stringent limits on WIMP–nucleon elastic cross sections that the next round of experiments will have to be either massive direction–sensitive detectors or massive ton–scale detectors with almost zero background. Candidate experiments with these requirements are shortly introduced like the newly announced GENIUS proposal. We also shortly discuss the implications of WIMP search results for accelerator experiments and vice versa.