The Electron-Ion Collider will be a state-of-the-art QCD facility located at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). Its realization is led jointly by BNL and Jefferson Lab. The accelerator and a detector system will be constructed over the next ten years as a DOE construction project and with non-DOE in-kind contributions. The ePIC collaboration together with the EIC Project is designing the detector systems to meet the scientific goals as expressed in the NAS assessment (2018) and further described in the 2021 Yellow Report.
A committee of experts, the EIC Computing and Software Advisory Committee (ECSAC), has been formed to advise the Host Laboratories on the progress and status of computing and software for the ePIC collaboration. Reviews occur on a regular cadence, with a charge reflective of the EIC schedule, the stage of the ePIC experiment, and impending deadlines. This charge covers an assessment of the progress of the implementation of the ePIC computing model including technical developments, and the integration of distributed resources. Interfaces between the DAQ (part of the formal 4.13b EIC project) and the ePIC computing model is within scope.
The Host Laboratories have assessed the EIC Computing and Software Joint Institute (ECSJI) resource plan. The plan and execution are within scope for this review.
Charge Questions
- ePIC Software & Computing: Assess progress toward TDR readiness and review the ePIC Software & Computing plan for 2026–2028, including plans for data lifecycle management.
- ePIC Computing Model: Assess progress toward implementation and commissioning of the ePIC computing model through ongoing demonstrators and testbeds. As appropriate, assess plans for and outcomes from data challenges. Assess progress on the interfaces between Echelon 0 (the ePIC DAQ, which is not part of this review) and Echelon 1.
- Resources: Assess short-term and long-term resource planning relative to near-term outcomes and long-term goals, including the resources needed for Software & Computing developments and operations. Assess how ePIC is engaging institutes, including the Host Laboratories, to identify additional contributions and address any resource gaps.
- ECSJI: Evaluate the short- and long-term planning and delivery of support resources by the Host Laboratories through the ECSJI. As appropriate, evaluate the collaboration and division of responsibilities between the two labs. Review planning and deployment for computing infrastructure and networking for Echelon 1.
- Broader Community: Assess as appropriate engagements with aligned Software & Computing organizations across nuclear physics, particle physics communities, and other relevant communities. Assess progress toward implementing the EIC International Computing Organisation (EICO) using a staged approach.
The review charge is also available in PDF format.
