HEP In the literature: open

Does a Southern Hemisphere NaI detector see the same-phase modulation?

In plain words

Seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere, but Earth's motion through dark matter is not. A sodium iodide detector in Australia tests whether DAMA's yearly wave follows the seasons or the dark matter.

Precise statement

SABRE South (Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory, Australia, about 2900 m water equivalent) operates low-background NaI(Tl) crystals with a liquid scintillator veto. The question is whether its 1-6 keV single-hit rate shows a modulation with amplitude near 0.01 cpd/kg/keV and phase near June 2 (dark matter like), phase shifted by about six months (seasonal environment like), or no modulation.

What would settle it

A multi-year SABRE South modulation analysis with sensitivity to exclude or confirm the DAMA amplitude at $3\sigma$ or better, ideally with its twin SABRE North at LNGS.

Status in the literature

Unverified note

SABRE South completed underground assembly milestones in 2025 with full commissioning planned for 2026.