Direct detection of WIMPs
  A generic weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) is one of the most
attractive candidates to account for the cold dark matter in our Universe,
since it would be thermally produced with the correct abundance to account for
the observed dark matter density. WIMPs can be searched for directly through
their elastic scattering with a target material, and a variety of experiments
are currently operating or planned with this aim. In these notes we overview
the theoretical calculation of the direct detection rate of WIMPs as well as
the different detection signals. We discuss the various ingredients (from
particle physics and astrophysics) that enter the calculation and review the
theoretical predictions for the direct detection of WIMPs in particle physics
models.
