  Big-Bang cosmology and ideas for possible physics beyond the Standard Model
of particle physics are introduced. The density budget of the Universe is
audited, and the issues involved in calculating the baryon density from
microphysics are mentioned, as is the role of cold dark matter in the formation
of cosmological structures. Candidates for cold dark matter are introduced,
with particular attention to the lightest supersymmetric particle and
metastable superheavy relics. Prospects for detecting supersymmetric dark
matter in non-accelerator experiments are assessed, and the possible role of
decays in generating ultra-high-energy cosmic rays is discussed. More details
of these and other astroparticle topics are presented during the rest of this
Summer Institute.
