https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-11087-1
Special Article - Tools for Experiment and Theory
Accelerating LHC event generation with simplified pilot runs and fast PDFs
1
Institut für Theoretische Physik, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
2
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Glasgow, UK
3
Centre for Advanced Research Computing, University College London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
4
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
5
Theory Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, 60510, Batavia, IL, USA
6
Department of Physics, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL, Coventry, UK
7
Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology, Department of Physics, Durham University, DH1 3LE, Durham, UK
a
enrico.bothmann@uni-goettingen.de
Received:
14
September
2022
Accepted:
29
November
2022
Published online:
14
December
2022
Poor computing efficiency of precision event generators for LHC physics has become a bottleneck for Monte-Carlo event simulation campaigns. We provide solutions to this problem by focusing on two major components of general-purpose event generators: The PDF evaluator and the matrix-element generator. For a typical production setup in the ATLAS experiment, we show that the two can consume about 80% of the total runtime. Using NLO simulations of 
and 
as an example, we demonstrate that the computing footprint of Lhapdf and Sherpa can be reduced by factors of order 10, while maintaining the formal accuracy of the event sample. The improved codes are made publicly available.
© The Author(s) 2022
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Funded by SCOAP3. SCOAP3 supports the goals of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development.
