LEP: a new instrument for high energy physics

This year, the CERN council will give its opinion upon the construction of a storage ring for positrons and electrons. This new installation will enable the investigation of electron-positron (e-e+) collisions with a focal point energy between 44 and 260 GeV. The name of this machine is LEP, an acronym for Large Electron Positron Storage Ring. CERN proposes financing the LEP from the existing budget, thus either stopping or reducing the proposed budget for a facility elsewhere. The arguments associated with CERN'S enthusiasm for LEP are presented and are illuminated with numerical data. The article then describes the facility and gives an impression of the experimental capabilities. (C.F.)