Limits to the Performance of the LHC with Ion Beams

The performance of the LHC as a heavy-ion collider will be limited by a diverse range of phenomena that are often qualitatively different from those limiting the performance with protons. We summarise the latest understanding and results concerning the consequences of nuclear electromagnetic processes in lead ion collisions, the interactions of ions with the residual gas and the effects of lost ions on the beam environment and vacuum. Besides these limitations on beam intensity, lifetime and luminosity, performance will be governed by the evolution of the beam emittances under the influences of synchrotron radiation damping, intra-beam scattering, RF noise and multiple scattering on residual gas. These effects constrain beam parameters in the LHC ring throughout the operational cycle with lead ions.