Lep

The Large Electron and Positron collider at CERN. Started operation in 1989. With its 27 km circumference it is the world's longest accelerator. Its task is to study the weak force. Using the LEP, scientists have found three families of particles that are thought to make up all matter. Over the past few years the LEP's energy has gradually been increased reaching climax at 202MeV in August 1999, just a few months before the last season shutdown. Technicians will start dismantling it at the end of the year 2000 to make room for the LHC.

LEP stands for Light Emitting Polymers. It is a synthetic that can be lit up through the use of electricity, therefore bringing reality to the idea of watching television on a device wrapped around your wrist. A LEP screen needs only 5 Volts to work.

In cooperation with research institute Cambridge Display Technologies, Seiko-Epson have produced a prototype of 5x5 centimeters. The plastic was only 2 millimeters thick and provided for monochrome moving pictures. The researchers plan to go public with a 30-centimeter wide full colour plastic television screen.

LEP was invented by coincidence in the University of Cambridge Cavendish laboratory in 1989. The University has a 25 percent ownership in Cambridge Display Technologies, which possesses the worldwide patent on LEP. The technology could be useful for PC's and video cameras. License holder Philips is developing plans to provide portable phones with LEP screens.

Lep (?), obs. strong imp.

of Leap. Leaped.

Chaucer.

© Webster 1913.