Abstract

The ALICE experiment has completed its initial installation phase and is ready for data taking. In this talk an overview of the properties and capabilities will be given, illustrated by examples from last year's operation with cosmic rays and circulating beams. The new physics offered by LHC energies, in both pp and AA collisions, will be discussed, emphasizing the new questions that ALICE can address. The initial programme of measurements for the first few months of operation will be presented.