APFEL Web and parton distribution functions

By Colin Adcock on March 16, 2015

Examples of output generated from APFEL Web

Parton distribution functions (PDFs) are an invaluable tool for particle physicists. But, they can be tricky to work with, and there is a growing need to develop new software to help these functions.

Now, a team of researchers have put together a new web application, APFEL Web, which is specialized in visualising and manipulating these PDFs, as described in a recent article in JPhysG.

The team summarize the need for such a program in their recent LabTalk article in JPhysG:

The requirements of precision physics at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have lead to the development of a variety of computer programs that can be used to analyze LHC data and to provide predictions for phenomenologically relevant processes. Following the technical developments of such programs we noticed the lack of programs for the visualization and manipulation of parton distribution functions (PDFs) which are one of the most important ingredients when computing predictions for modern colliders.

The new app will help researchers across the globe to work with PDFs, and the team believe it has the potential to become a highly used tool for LHC researchers over the coming years.

Read more about the program from the developers

APFEL Web: a web-based application for the graphical visualization of parton distribution functions
Stefano Carrazza et al 2015 J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 42 057001

LabTalk: A web-based application for the graphical visualization of parton distribution functions

The APFEL Web homepage: http://apfel.mi.infn.it/

Image: Examples of output generated from APFEL Web. From Stefano Carrazza et al 2015 J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 42 057001, Copyright IOP Publishing 2015.