We study the viability of the lightest neutralino as a dark matter candidate in the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. Taking into account accelerator constraints as well as bounds on low-energy observables, and imposing consistency with present bounds on the neutralino relic density, we address the prospects for the direct detection of neutralino dark matter. We find regions of the allowed parameter space where the neutralino detection cross section is within the reach of dark matter detectors, essentially owing to the presence of very light singlet-like Higgses, and to either singlino dominated or very light neutralinos.
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