ANAIS is a direct detection dark matter experiment aiming at the testing of the DAMA/LIBRA annual modulation result, which, for about two decades, has neither been confirmed nor ruled out by any other experiment in a model independent way. $\mathrm{ANAIS}-112$, consisting of 112.5 kg of sodium iodide crystals, has been taking data at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory, Spain, since August 2017. This Letter presents the annual modulation analysis of 1.5 years of data, amounting to 157.55 kg yr. We focus on the model independent analysis searching for modulation and the validation of our sensitivity prospects. $\mathrm{ANAIS}-112$ data are consistent with the null hypothesis ($p$ values of 0.67 and 0.18 for [2–6] and [1–6] keV energy regions, respectively). The best fits for the modulation hypothesis are consistent with the absence of modulation ($S_m=-0.0044\pm 0.0058\mathrm{cpd}/\mathrm{kg}/\mathrm{keV}$ and $-0.0015\pm 0.0063\mathrm{cpd}/\mathrm{kg}/\mathrm{keV}$, respectively). They are in agreement with our estimated sensitivity for the accumulated exposure, which supports our projected goal of reaching a $3\sigma$ sensitivity to the DAMA/LIBRA result in five years of data taking.

The ANAIS (Annual modulation with NaI(Tl) Scintillators) experiment aims at the confirmation or refutation of the DAMA/LIBRA positive annual modulation signal in the low energy detection rate, using...

ANAIS is a direct detection dark matter experiment aiming at the study of the annual modulation expected in the interaction rate. It uses same target and technique as the DAMA/LIBRA experiment, which...

The annual modulation measured by the DAMA/LIBRA experiment can be explained by the interaction of dark matter WIMPs in NaI(Tl) scintillator detectors. Other experiments, with different targets or...