Overview of LEP operation in 1998

After the installation of 32 additional RF cavities in the 1997-1998 shutdown LEP was operated at a beam energy of 94.5 GeV. The total integrated luminosity for the year 1998 clearly surpassed its target and reached 198 pb/sup -1/. Vertical beam-beam tuneshifts of more than 0.07 were obtained. The performance did not seem to be beam-beam limited, but the total beam current was limited by power dissipation problems to around 6 mA. A high phase advance optics (102/spl deg/, 90/spl deg/), with a smaller natural emittance, was used for regular operation in 1998. This contributed to the excellent performance of LEP, together with the further reduction of both the horizontal and vertical beta function at the interaction points. No dynamic aperture problems were encountered.