  After a successful scrubbing run in the beginning of 2011, the LHC can be
presently operated with high intensity proton beams with 50 ns bunch spacing.
However, strong electron cloud effects were observed during machine studies
with the nominal beam with 25 ns bunch spacing. In particular, fast transverse
instabilities were observed when attempting to inject trains of 48 bunches into
the LHC for the first time. An analysis of the turn-by-turn bunch-bybunch data
from the transverse damper pick-ups during these injection studies is
presented, showing a clear signature of the electron cloud effect. These
experimental observations are reproduced using numerical simulations: the
electron distribution before each bunch passage is generated with PyECLOUD and
used as input for a set of HEADTAIL simulations. This paper describes the
simulation method as well as the sensitivity of the results to the initial
conditions for the electron build-up. The potential of this type of simulations
and their clear limitations on the other hand are discussed.
