How can we make sure we detect dark matter?

Abstract

More and more claims of having detected WIMP dark matter are being put forward. Some are discussed here, stressing the importance of exploiting distinctive signatures to ascertain their WIMP origin. The best signals for WIMP discovery are characterized by special features that make them recognizable as due to WIMPs and nothing else. Sometimes, however, a single feature, although accountable for in theoretical models, may not be enough to make sure that we have detected WIMPs. This is because the theory of WIMPs and their distribution in the galaxy is still very uncertain, and allows for many possibilities. What are needed are experimental verifications of the claimed signals, either by discovering unmistakable features, or by detecting several kinds of signals that can all be explained by the same WIMP model.