ACTS is international, open source project developing an experiment-independent set of track reconstruction tools. The main philosophy is to provide high-level track reconstruction modules that can be used for any tracking detector. The description of the tracking detector’s geometry is optimized for efficient navigation and quick extrapolation of tracks. Converters for several common geometry description languages exist. Having a highly performant, yet largely customizable implementation of track reconstruction algorithms was a primary objective for the design of this toolset. Additionally, the applicability to real-life HEP experiments plays major role in the development process. Apart from algorithmic code, this project also provides an event data model for the description of track parameters and measurements.
Key features of this project include: tracking geometry description which can be constructed from TGeo, DD4Hep, or GDML input, simple and efficient event data model, performant and highly flexible algorithms for track propagation and fitting, basic seed finding algorithms. See ACTS webpage for further details of the full ACTS project.
IRIS-HEP members are involved in many aspects of ACTS development, including porting of track reconstruction to GPU toolchains, integration of ACTS into the Athena framework in the context of the phase-II upgrade of the ATLAS detector, and R&D implementations of cutting-edge tracking and vertexing algorithms.
The team supported by IRIS-HEP collaborating on the ACTS project are listed on this page. See here for the full author list. We held a tracking workshop for HEP in Berkeley in January 2019. Key ACTS experts from Europe were invited speakers at the workshop.
Team
- Heather Gray
- Lauren Tompkins
- Rocky Bala Garg
- Irina Ene
- Louis-Guillaume Gagnon
- Beomki Yeo
- Carlo Varni
- Tomohiro Yamazaki
- Elyssa Hofgard
Presentations
- 21 Oct 2024 - "Integration of the ACTS track reconstruction toolkit in the ATLAS software for HL-LHC operations", Carlo Varni, CHEP 2024 - Conference on Computing in High Energy Physics
- 18 Sep 2024 - "Software and Computing at CERN for the LHC and Beyond", Heather Gray, CERN School of Computing
- 24 Jul 2024 - "Performance Case Study on Charge Clusterization", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, CoDAS-HEP 2024
- 14 Jun 2024 - "Discussion on calibration", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 4 Jun 2024 - "Upgrade Tracking Report", Carlo Varni, ATLAS ITk Meeting
- 20 May 2024 - "GPUs and Accelerators", Beomki Yeo, Computational HEP Traineeship Summer School 2024
- 18 May 2024 - "Traccc: GPU Track Reconstruction Library", Beomki Yeo, Workshop of Tracking in Particle Physics Experiments
- 15 May 2024 - "ACTS-ITk Status", Tomohiro Yamazaki, ATLAS Upgrade Tracking Meeting
- 3 May 2024 - "ACTS Integration Updates", Carlo Varni, ATLAS ACTS-ITk Meeting
- 30 Apr 2024 - "Reprise of ATLAS Lecture "GPU as a Hardware Accelerator"", Beomki Yeo, ATLAS Event Filtering Weekly (internal)
- 19 Apr 2024 - "Vectorizing matrix operations", Beomki Yeo, ACTS Parallelization Meeting
- 10 Apr 2024 - "ACTS GSF with ITk", Tomohiro Yamazaki, ATLAS Upgrade Tracking Meeting
- 9 Apr 2024 - "GPU and Hardware Accelerators R&D for ATLAS Phase-II Computing", Beomki Yeo, ATLAS Lecture Series
- 28 Mar 2024 - "Challenges and Opportunities in Software and Computing for Future Colliders", Heather Gray, The Future of High Energy Physics
- 22 Mar 2024 - "Update on pixel measurement calibration in ACTS-ITk", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 19 Mar 2024 - "Upgrade Tracking Report", Carlo Varni, ATLAS ITk Meeting
- 1 Mar 2024 - "ACTS Integration Updates", Carlo Varni, ATLAS ACTS-ITk Meeting
- 21 Feb 2024 - "ACTS GSF with ITk", Tomohiro Yamazaki, ATLAS Upgrade Tracking Meeting
- 14 Feb 2024 - "From Upgrade on Run 4 object reconstruction, progress and plans", Carlo Varni, ATLAS Collaboration Week
- 9 Feb 2024 - "ACTS-based Conversion Tracking Pass", Carlo Varni, ATLAS ACTS-ITk Meeting
- 31 Jan 2024 - "ACTS GSF with ITk", Tomohiro Yamazaki, ATLAS Upgrade Tracking Meeting
- 11 Jan 2024 - "ACTS Integraton into Athena", Carlo Varni, Annual LBNL ATLAS Meeting
- 14 Dec 2023 - "Upgrade Tracking 2024 goals", Carlo Varni, ATLAS Upgrade Physics Meeting
- 28 Nov 2023 - "CKF and KF development in traccc", Beomki Yeo, EF Tracking Weekly (Internal)
- 16 Nov 2023 - "ACTS GPU R&D Status", Beomki Yeo, US ATLAS Software & Computing / Physics Support joint management meeting (Internal)
- 14 Nov 2023 - "Upgrade Software status and ACTS integration", Carlo Varni, ATLAS Upgrade Week
- 10 Nov 2023 - "ACTS in ATLAS", Tomohiro Yamazaki, ACTS Developer Workshop 2023
- 9 Nov 2023 - "Status of KF and CKF: traccc", Beomki Yeo, Acts Workshop 2023
- 8 Nov 2023 - "ATLAS ACTS Infrastructure", Carlo Varni, ACTS Developers Workshop
- 17 Oct 2023 - "Upgrade Physics and Software Report", Carlo Varni, ATLAS Collaboration Week
- 12 Oct 2023 - "Studying a new Primary Vertex (PV) identification algorithm within ACTS framework", Rocky Bala Garg, CTD 2023
- 11 Oct 2023 - "Neural-network measurement calibration", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, ACTS Developer Workshop 2023
- 11 Oct 2023 - "On-the-fly measurement calibration with ACTS", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, Connecting The Dots 2023
- 22 Sep 2023 - "ACTS Track Reconstruction and Support for Regional Tracking", Carlo Varni, ATLAS ACTS-ITk Meeting
- 12 Sep 2023 - "ACTS Integration into Athena", Carlo Varni, ATLAS ITk Meeting
- 15 May 2023 - "How to integrate ACTS into Athena", Carlo Varni, Inner Detector Tracking Workshop 2023
- 11 May 2023 - "Potentiality of automatic parameter tuning suite available in ACTS track reconstruction software framework", Rocky Bala Garg, CHEP 2023
- 12 Apr 2023 - "Update on Energy Loss", Beomki Yeo, Acts Developers Meeting
- 31 Mar 2023 - "ACTS improvements for ITk chain", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 24 Mar 2023 - "CUDA track finding with CKF", Beomki Yeo, ACTS Parallelization Meeting
- 13 Mar 2023 - "Space Point EDM", Carlo Varni, TDAQ Week - EF Tracking parallel session
- 3 Mar 2023 - "SP EDM and timing studies of chain components", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 28 Feb 2023 - "Introduction and Updates from Traccc", Beomki Yeo, EF Tracking weekly
- 27 Jan 2023 - "Kalman Filter Update in traccc", Beomki Yeo, ACTS Parallelization Meeting
- 26 Jan 2023 - "ACTS Tracking EDM", Carlo Varni, ATLAS software and computing week
- 20 Jan 2023 - "Space point EDM discussion", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 11 Jan 2023 - "ACTS-Athena integration and configuration", Carlo Varni, Annual LBNL ATLAS Meeting
- 11 Dec 2022 - "Kalman Filtering Update in traccc", Beomki Yeo, ACTS Parallelization Meeting
- 2 Dec 2022 - "Athena-Acts Job Options developments", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 17 Nov 2022 - "ACTS clusterization and status update", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, ATLAS Inner Tracking CP Plenary
- 4 Nov 2022 - "Update on ITk Strip Clusterization with ACTS", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 26 Oct 2022 - "Auto-tuning capabilities of the ACTS track reconstruction suite", Rocky Bala Garg, ACAT 2022
- 25 Oct 2022 - "Navigation, field integration and track parameter transport through detectors using GPUs and CPUs within the ACTS R&D project", Beomki Yeo, 21st International Workshop on Advanced Computing and Analysis Techniques in Physics Research
- 13 Oct 2022 - "ACTS for IRIS-HEP", Rocky Bala Garg, IRIS-HEP Institute Retreat
- 7 Oct 2022 - "Job Options for integration", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 6 Oct 2022 - "ACTS-Athena integration strategy", Carlo Varni, ATLAS software and computing week
- 6 Oct 2022 - "ACTS GPU Track Reconstruction Demonstrator", Beomki Yeo, Joint Upgrade Software + Reconstruction session during S&C Week 73
- 29 Sep 2022 - "ACTS for ITk in Athena - tutorial section", Carlo Varni, ACTS Developers Workshop
- 28 Sep 2022 - "Tutorial on Using Optuna and Orion to tune seeding parameters", Rocky Bala Garg, ACTS Developers Workshop
- 27 Sep 2022 - "Auto-tuning in acts for seeding and vertexing", Rocky Bala Garg, ACTS Developers Workshop
- 26 Sep 2022 - "ACTS Vertexing", Rocky Bala Garg, ACTS Developers Workshop
- 23 Sep 2022 - "Update on ITk Strip Clusterization with ACTS", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 9 Sep 2022 - "Update on ITk Clusterization with ACTS", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 7 Sep 2022 - "Update on ITk Pixel Clusterization with ACTS", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, ATLAS Upgrade Tracking meeting
- 12 Jul 2022 - "HEP software: overview and future challenges", Heather Gray, ICHEP
- 15 Jun 2022 - "ACTS R&D for GPU track reconstruction", Beomki Yeo, Core SW / HCAF Session in S&C Week
- 2 Jun 2022 - "Exploration of different parameter optimization algorithms within the context of ACTS software framework", Rocky Bala Garg, Connecting The Dots 2022
- 31 May 2022 - "Connecting the dots conference 2022", Beomki Yeo, Connecting the dots conference 2022
- 20 May 2022 - "Running ACTS workflow in athena for ITk", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 18 May 2022 - "CI Tests for ACTS packages", Carlo Varni, Upgrade Software Integration
- 12 May 2022 - "Optimization of ACTS-AMVF for ITk", Rocky Bala Garg, Vertex reconstruction meeting
- 4 May 2022 - "ACTS/ITk Parameter Optimization", Rocky Bala Garg, Upgrade Tracking Meeting
- 27 Apr 2022 - "Parameter optimization using machine learning algorithms within ACTS framework", Rocky Bala Garg, IRIS-HEP IA presentations
- 27 Apr 2022 - "Parameter optimization using machine learning algorithms within ACTS framework", Elyssa Hofgard, IRIS-HEP Topical meeting
- 13 Apr 2022 - "ACTS tracking", Carlo Varni, IRIS-HEP Topical meeting
- 5 Apr 2022 - "EF Tracking - track extension, fitting & ambiguity resolution", Carlo Varni, EF Tracking weekly
- 1 Apr 2022 - "Matrix operations in algebra-plugins", Beomki Yeo, ACTS Parallelization Meeting
- 25 Mar 2022 - "Updates on ACTS clusterization", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 18 Mar 2022 - "Future development plan", Beomki Yeo, ACTS Parallelization Meeting
- 11 Mar 2022 - "Update on pixel clustering", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 11 Mar 2022 - "Updates on seeding integration in athena", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 9 Mar 2022 - "Parallelisation in ACTS", Beomki Yeo, Compute Accelerator Forum / HSF Reconstruction and Software Triggers
- 25 Feb 2022 - "CKF parameter tuning studies", Rocky Bala Garg, ACTS Machine Learning Meeting
- 11 Feb 2022 - "Updates on seeding", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 4 Feb 2022 - "Discussion on the (CUDA) navigator in detray", Beomki Yeo, Acts Parallelization Meeting
- 27 Jan 2022 - "Status of ACTS integration for ITk tracking", Carlo Varni, Inner Tracking CP plenary meeting
- 12 Jan 2022 - "ACTS, EDM and Athena", Carlo Varni, Annual LBNL ATLAS Meeting
- 12 Jan 2022 - "Tracking with ACTS on GPUs", Beomki Yeo, Annual LBNL ATLAS Meeting
- 1 Dec 2021 - "A compile time polymorphic tracking geometry description", Beomki Yeo, 20th International Workshop on Advanced Computing and Analysis Techniques in Physics Research
- 19 Nov 2021 - "Discussion on seeding algorithm integration in Athena", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 19 Nov 2021 - "Setting the tool’s properties in the JO with different configurations", Carlo Varni, Run 3 Reconstruction Job Configuration
- 15 Oct 2021 - "ACTS Seeding Algorithm and Tool in Athena", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 15 Oct 2021 - "Detray status update", Beomki Yeo, ACTS Parallelization Meeting
- 4 Oct 2021 - "Status of the GPU demonstrator (traccc) for Acts", Beomki Yeo, Core SW / HCAF Session in S&C Week
- 1 Oct 2021 - "Discussion on seeding algorithm EDM", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 17 Sep 2021 - "EDM Timing Studies", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 8 Sep 2021 - "Machine Learning for Track Reconstruction at the LHC", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, AI4EIC-Exp Workshop
- 10 Aug 2021 - "Track Reconstruction using GPUs", Beomki Yeo, LBML ATLAS Meeting
- 20 Jul 2021 - "ATLAS Track Reconstruction for HL-LHC using ACTS software", Carlo Varni, LBL Weekly meeting
- 16 Jul 2021 - "Update on pixel clustering with ACTS", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 18 Jun 2021 - "Update on pixel clusterization with ACTS in ITk", Louis-Guillaume Gagnon, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 18 Jun 2021 - "ACTS Tracking EDM", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 4 Jun 2021 - "Cuda seed finding update in traccc", Beomki Yeo, ACTS Parallelization Meeting
- 27 May 2021 - "Qualification task in TrackingCP: ACTS Integration into Athena", Rocky Bala Garg, ATLAS Inner Tracking CP weekly
- 21 May 2021 - "Acts Tracking EDM ideas and Seeding Tool", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 17 May 2021 - "Perspective on HEP Software", Heather Gray, vCHEP
- 15 May 2021 - "GPU Demonstrator for ACTS Track Reconstruction", Beomki Yeo, NSF review
- 26 Mar 2021 - "ACTS integration into athena", Carlo Varni, ACTS-ITk meeting
- 26 Feb 2021 - "Parameter Optimization and Layer Linking in ACTS track Seeding", Rocky Bala Garg, ACTS Machine Learning Meeting
- 12 Feb 2021 - "Athena-ACTS Wrapper: Iterative Vertex Finder with Full Billoir Fitter", Rocky Bala Garg, SLAC ATLAS meeting
- 2 Sep 2020 - "Ambiguity Resolution in ACTS", Irina Ene, IRIS-HEP topical meeting
- 26 Aug 2020 - "Initial studies of ACTS tracking performance with GPUs", Xiaocong Ai, IRIS-HEP Topical meeting
- 29 May 2020 - "Summary of Wednesday Session: Core Developments", Xiaocong Ai, ACTS Tracking for HEP Workshop
- 28 May 2020 - "ACTS Propagation on GPUs", Xiaocong Ai, ACTS Tracking for HEP Workshop
- 26 May 2020 - "ACTS Track fitting/finding Tutorial", Xiaocong Ai, ACTS Tracking for HEP Workshop
- 25 May 2020 - "ACTS Project Status", Xiaocong Ai, ACTS Tracking for HEP Workshop
- 15 May 2020 - "Acts Integration into Athena", Rocky Bala Garg, SLAC ATLAS meeting
- 22 Apr 2020 - "Tracking performance with ACTS", Xiaocong Ai, Connecting The Dots 2020
- 19 Feb 2020 - "Track fitting/finding with ACTS", Xiaocong Ai, Iris-hep topical meeting
- 8 Aug 2019 - "ACTS Status", Xiaocong Ai, USATLAS Summer Workshop
- 31 Jul 2019 - "ACTS: a common track reconstruction software", Xiaocong Ai, DPF 2019
- 31 Jul 2019 - "Ambiguity Resolution: Using Machine Learning", Nicholas Cinko, ACTS Developers Meetings
- 6 Feb 2019 - "IRIS-HEP Innovative Algorithms", Heather Gray, IRIS-HEP Steering Board Meeting
- 13 Jan 2019 - "Ambiguity Resolution Studies with ACTS", Nicholas Cinko, Berkeley Tracking Workshop
- 13 Jan 2019 - "Workshop introduction", Heather Gray, Berkeley Tracking Workshop
- 13 Jan 2019 - "Ambiguity Resolution Studies with ACTS", Heather Gray, Berkeley Tracking Workshop
Publications
- The derivation of Jacobian matrices for the propagation of track parameter uncertainties in the presence of magnetic fields and detector material, B. Yeo, H. Gray, A. Salzburger and S. Swatman, Nucl.Instrum.Meth.A 1068 169734 (2024) (25 Mar 2024).
- Exploration of different parameter optimization algorithms within the context of ACTS software framework, R. Garg, E. Hofgard, L. Tompkins and H. Gray, arXiv 2211.00764 (01 Nov 2022) [1 citation].
- A non-linear Kalman filter for track parameters estimation in high energy physics, X. Ai, H. Gray, A. Salzburger and N. Styles, Nucl.Instrum.Meth.A 1049 168041 (2023) (17 Dec 2021) [2 citations] [NSF PAR].
- Evolutionary Algorithms for Tracking Algorithm Parameter Optimization, P. Chatain, R. Garg and L. Tompkins, EPJ Web Conf. 251 03071 (2021) (23 Aug 2021) [2 citations] [NSF PAR].
- A Common Tracking Software Project, X. Ai et. al., Comput.Softw.Big Sci. 6 8 (2022) (25 Jun 2021) [69 citations] [NSF PAR].
- A GPU-Based Kalman Filter for Track Fitting, X. Ai, G. Mania, H. Gray, M. Kuhn and N. Styles, Comput.Softw.Big Sci. 5 20 (2021) (04 May 2021) [6 citations] [NSF PAR].
- The Tracking Machine Learning Challenge: Throughput Phase, S. Amrouche et. al., Comput.Softw.Big Sci. 7 1 (2023) (03 May 2021) [28 citations].
- Tracking with A Common Tracking Software, Ai, Xiaocong, arXiv 2007.01239 (02 Jul 2020) [3 citations].
- Detray: a compile time polymorphic tracking geometry description (submitted), Andreas Salzburger, Joana Niermann, Beomki Yeo, Attila Krasznahorkay, ACAT 2021 (27 Feb 2020).
- Acts: A common tracking software, Ai, Xiaocong, arXiv 1910.03128 (07 Oct 2019) [11 citations].
Recent recordings
3 May 2022
18 Oct 2021
8 Sep 2021
31 Aug 2020