CHEP (Conference on Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics)

CHEP (Conference on Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics)
Name	CHEP (Conference on Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics)
Status	Active
Discipline	High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Scientific Computing
First	1985
Frequency	Biennial / Triennial (varies)

CHEP (Conference on Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics) is an international conference series focused on computing, data processing, and software for experimental CERN, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and other large-scale Fermilab collaborations. The meeting brings together researchers from ATLAS (experiment), CMS (detector), LHCb, ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment), Belle II, DUNE (particle detector), NOvA, Super-Kamiokande, T2K, and associated computing projects like Grid computing, High Performance Computing, and Cloud computing. The conference interfaces with major projects and organizations such as Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, Open Science Grid, European Organization for Nuclear Research, and national laboratories across United States Department of Energy and National Science Foundation-funded initiatives.

History

CHEP originated in the mid-1980s amid computing needs at facilities like CERN and Fermilab, evolving alongside experiments including LEP and Tevatron. Early editions reflected interactions among teams from DESY, SLAC, Brookhaven National Laboratory, TRIUMF, and KEK (high-energy accelerator organization), and topics paralleled advances in ROOT (data analysis framework), GEANT4, and distributed computing paradigms introduced at Supercomputing (conference). Subsequent conferences tracked milestones such as the commissioning of Large Hadron Collider, the discovery announcements by ATLAS (experiment) and CMS (detector), and transitions to exascale planning with agencies like European Commission and initiatives tied to Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. Over its history CHEP has rotated venues among cities hosting institutions like Geneva, San Diego, Taipei, Prague, Tokyo, Vancouver, and Mumbai while engaging with regional centers such as CERN Openlab and national computing centers like NERSC.

Scope and Topics

CHEP covers software and computing for experiments including ATLAS (experiment), CMS (detector), LHCb, ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment), IceCube Neutrino Observatory, BaBar, and Belle II. Technical themes include event simulation frameworks like GEANT4, analysis tools such as ROOT (data analysis framework), data management systems exemplified by FTS (File Transfer Service), storage solutions from EOS (storage), and middleware from Globus Toolkit. The conference addresses workflow orchestration tied to HTCondor, Kubernetes, and Apache Hadoop ecosystems, and computing models referencing Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, Open Science Grid, EGI (European Grid Infrastructure), and cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services in science programs. Intersections with machine learning are discussed via TensorFlow, PyTorch, and applications developed by groups at CERN Openlab, Fermilab Scientist and Engineers, and university groups from MIT, Stanford University, University of Oxford, University of Tokyo, and University of California, Berkeley.

Organization and Format

The conference is organized by local host institutions—often national laboratories or universities such as CERN, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, KEK (high-energy accelerator organization), TRIUMF, TIFR—and program committees drawn from experiments like ATLAS (experiment) and CMS (detector), computing centers like CERN IT, and funding bodies including European Research Council. Formats combine plenary talks from leaders linked to LHC Computing Grid, parallel sessions on topics aligned with working groups from OpenStack, tutorials on tools like ROOT (data analysis framework) and GEANT4, poster sessions, birds-of-a-feather meetings influenced by HEP Software Foundation, and workshops coordinated with projects such as Rucio and CVMFS. Proceedings are typically peer-reviewed by program committees comprising representatives from DESY, Fermilab, Brookhaven National Laboratory, KEK (high-energy accelerator organization), and major university groups.

Notable Contributions and Impact

CHEP has been a venue for introducing pivotal developments including adoption of GEANT4 for detector simulation, evolution of ROOT (data analysis framework) histograms and I/O, operational models for Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, and deployment strategies for Tiered computing architectures used by ATLAS (experiment) and CMS (detector). The conference influenced collaborations between CERN Openlab and industry partners like Intel, IBM, Google, and Microsoft Research on accelerator-aware computing and FPGAs/GPUs for trigger and reconstruction algorithms. It has catalyzed standards and tools such as CVMFS distribution, Rucio data management, and containerization practices with Docker (software) adapted by experimental software communities. CHEP discussions have also guided policy dialogues involving European Commission, US Department of Energy, and international projects planning for HL-LHC and Exascale computing transitions.

Proceedings and Publications

Proceedings from CHEP are published with collections of peer-reviewed papers and conference slides often archived by host organizations like CERN Document Server and repositories used by arXiv. Contributions frequently cite software projects including GEANT4, ROOT (data analysis framework), Rucio, CVMFS, and middleware like HTCondor, and are indexed in scholarly databases accessed by groups at University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and national laboratories. Special issues and topical reports sometimes appear in journals associated with IEEE, ACM, and community technical reports coordinated by the HEP Software Foundation.

Attendance and Community

Attendees include computing scientists, software engineers, data managers, and experiment physicists from institutions such as CERN, Fermilab, Brookhaven National Laboratory, DESY, TRIUMF, KEK (high-energy accelerator organization), and universities including University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University of California, Berkeley, University of Tokyo, and University of Melbourne. The community interacts with industry partners like NVIDIA, Intel, Google, and IBM and with collaborative bodies such as Open Science Grid and European Grid Infrastructure. CHEP fosters working relationships with initiatives including HEP Software Foundation, CERN Openlab, and regional computing projects in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and European Research Area networks.

Related Conferences and Collaborations

CHEP is related to conferences and workshops such as International Conference on High Energy Physics, ICHEP, NeurIPS when machine learning cross-talk occurs, Supercomputing (conference), SciPy meetings, HEP Software Foundation workshops, and regional gatherings like Computing in High Energy Physics Latin America events. Collaborations span Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, Open Science Grid, European Grid Infrastructure, CERN Openlab, Rucio project, and software projects like GEANT4 and ROOT (data analysis framework) that connect to communities at ATLAS (experiment), CMS (detector), LHCb, and ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment).

Category:Conferences in physics