Optimizing PYTHIA 8 event generation with RHIC data

by Dr Raghav Kunnawalkam Elayavalli (Yale University and BNL)

Tuesday 9 Nov 2021, 11:00 → 13:00 US/Eastern

The PYTHIA event generator is one of the most commonly used general purpose monte carlo models in the high energy community. It includes a parameterized representation of high energy collisions with the individual parameters commonly tuned to legacy e+e- and ep deep inelastic scattering data. Once tuned, it has been shown to effectively reproduce the general trends in pp collisions at the large center of mass energies available at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Recent data from experiments at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) with significantly lower collision energies showcased qualitative differences between the data and PYTHIA 8 predictions. In this talk, I will motivate the need for and present a new tune of the underlying event and multi-parton interaction parameters for PYTHIA 8.306 using mid-rapidity inclusive spectra, jet sub-structure, Drell-Yan production, and underlying event measurements from pp collisions at RHIC and Tevatron. With respect to the default Monash Tune, the new `Detroit' tune shows significant improvements in the description of mid-rapidity data at both RHIC and LHC energies. Along with discussing why this is the case, we will also ponder the validity of PYTHIA 8 predictions for forward rapidity particle production where neither tunes are able to describe data. 

 

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The recording of the seminar is available here:

https://bnl.zoomgov.com/rec/share/x1RoettAwQrv3VkMhqzUY9hmWlw60oQn7W8LgDDIk1dGQoTU_qiZAn0JQu4scV2U._LawdR6lWmYjkvDX

Passcode: Mp9+Kfxj

PY8_DetroitTune_raghav_bnl_9Nov2021.pdf