High energy nuclear database: a testbed for nuclear data information technology

We describe the development of an on-line high-energy heavy-ion experimental database. When com- pleted, the database will be searchable and cross-indexed with relevant publications, including published detector descriptions. While this effort is relatively new, it will eventually contain all published data from older heavy-ion programs as well as published data from current and future facilities. These data include all measured observables in proton-proton, proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions. Once in general use, this database will have tremendous scientific payoff as it makes systematic studies easier and allows simpler benchmarking of theoretical models for a broad range of experiments. Furthermore, there is a growing need for compilations of high-energy nuclear data for applications including stockpile stewardship, technology development for inertial confinement fusion, target and source development for upcoming facilities such as the International Linear Collider and homeland security. This database is part of a larger proposal that includes the production of periodic data evaluations and topical reviews. These reviews would provide an alternative and impartial mechanism to resolve discrepancies between published data from rival experiments and between theory and experiment. Since this database will be a community resource, it requires the high-energy nuclear physics community's financial and manpower support. This project serves as a testbed for the further development of an object-oriented nuclear data format and database system. By using "off-the- shelf" software tools and techniques, the system is simple, robust, and extensible. Eventually we envision a "Grand Unified Nuclear Format" encapsulating data types used in the ENSDF, ENDF/B, EXFOR, NSR and other formats, including processed data formats. 1 Background and potential impact We propose to create and maintain a high-energy nuclear data- base. This central database will be web-accessible and search- able. Similar to the Evaluated Nuclear Data File (ENDF/B) and EXchange FORmat (EXFOR) databases (1) and HEP- DATA website (2), we will store cross sections, particle yields and single particle spectra. We will also store data specific to higher energy reactions such as multi-particle spectra, flow and correlation observables. Thus we seek to archive whatever is needed to characterize a high-energy heavy-ion reaction. Initially we will focus on published measurements but eventually we will cross-link the data with experiment descriptions. We also envision evaluating high-energy nuclear data and reporting these results in periodic topical reviews of subsets of the data. The idea of publishing the topical reviews has already sparked the interest of a few review journals. The utility of such a database is clear: it would organize existing data, allowing easier cross-experiment comparisons, theory benchmarking and development of systematics. In addition to the basic science needs, there is a growing list of applications for high-energy nuclear data including: un- derstanding backgrounds in proton radiography; heavy-ion driven inertial confinement fusion; ν and µ secondary beam source development for Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation (MINOS) and the International Linear Collider; and cosmic ray dose rates for space exploration. These applications are