Recent results from CERN SPS experiments and the future heavy ion programme

We describe the important results from the recent experiments using lead beams at the CERN SPS. The results of the WA98 experiment, which has substantial Indian participation along with the photon multiplicity detector is described in some detail. Combining the preliminary results from various experiments looking at different signals of phase transition, one finds enough evidence to suggest that a phase transition has taken place in nuclear collisions at the SPS. The future programme of heavy ion physics at the LHC is being geared around the ALICE experiment. This will comprise detector subsystems capable of studying almost all the signals in the same event. The photon multiplicity detector will be an important component of the ALICE experiment, being a totally Indian contribution to ALICE. (31 refs).