Physics at e sup + e sup minus factories

Feasible designs are well advanced for high-luminosity e{sup +}e{sup {minus}} storage rings which produce B{sup 0}{bar B}{sup 0} pairs either at rest or, in what appears to be a more promising option, boosted in the detector frame. Facilities which could provide samples of 30--100 fb{sup {minus}1} per year on the {Upsilon}(4S) will be proposed in early 1991. Here we examine the principal physics goal of such B Factories, namely CP violation in the b system. Methods in a variety of channels, estimated event samples, and detector requirements are all considered. We conclude that the physics argument for an e{sup +}e{sup {minus}} B Factory is well documented, and compelling. 50 refs., 22 figs., 10 tabs.