MCnet/MCviz - graph and 3D-viewer tools for simulated particle collisions

Description

Simulations are key to particle-physics research: many modern theoretical models have such complex consequences that we test theory not by comparing measurements of particle collisions to predicted functional forms, but by generating simulated collision-events from the theory and analyzing them identically to the real ones from the particle collider.

This means that event generators are incredibly important to particle physics, as the most-used link between experiment and theory, and as a crucial data format for exchange of ideas. They are also an excellent way to introduce new researchers and the public to particle-physics concepts. However, the toolset for MC event manipulation and visualisation is less powerful and coherent than it should be, and this project seeks to improve that situation!

Task ideas

This project will pick up old ideas and code for MC-event visualisation – both of the interaction graph that illustrates the internal theory computation, and the external appearance of the resulting collision decay-products – and produce a new set of tools useful both to physicists and for public outreach.

Expected results and milestones

Extend the mcgraph tool to be usable with both the HepMC and LHE MC-event formats.
Refactor mcgraph into a library capable of rendering to a web browser in a server app.
Interface the Phoenix event-viewer library to display 3D events (with and without a dummy detector model) to a web browsers.
Display interactive particle information and jet clustering in graph and 3D view interfaces.

Requirements

Command-line tools
Python
Web technologies
Gitlab CI
git

Mentors

Andy Buckley - CERN
Chris Gutschow - CERN

Additional Information

Difficulty level (low / medium / high): medium
Duration: 350 hours
Mentor availability: June-October

Corresponding Project

MCnet