The ATLAS heavy ion program: status prior to the first LHC Pb+Pb run

The LHC will begin colliding lead nuclei at a nucleon-nucleon center of mass energy of 2.76 TeV in November, 2010. The luminosity during this first LHC heavy ion run is expected to be roughly one hundredth of the Pb+Pb “design” luminosity. The ATLAS experiment is prepared to carry out measurements during this first Pb+Pb run of bulk observables such as charged particle multiplicity, charged particle spectra and elliptic flow and to make first measurements of jet spectra and jet fragment spectra. The prospects for these measurements are briefly described.