The ATLAS Experiment at CERN has taken a significant step towards open data sharing by releasing two years’ worth of scientific data for research purposes. This data includes records of proton–proton collisions from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at a collision energy of 13 TeV, which occurred during the 2015 and 2016 proton–proton operation of the LHC. The released data, amounting to approximately 65 TB, represents over 7 billion LHC collision events and 2 billion events of simulated Monte Carlo data.
The data has been made available under the Creative Commons CC0 waiver, allowing widespread access and utilization. ATLAS researchers are particularly encouraging collaboration with phenomenologists and computer scientists for further exploration of the datasets. Additionally, ATLAS has provided comprehensive documentation on several analyses, guiding external researchers through the process step-by-step.
ATLAS traditionally collaborates with non-ATLAS scientists through short-term associations, offering them full access to the data, internal tools, and information. This release aims to strengthen this dialogue and foster collaboration. The ATLAS open data website serves as a hub for researchers, teachers, students, enthusiasts, and now scientists, and provides multi-level documentation, video tutorials, and online tools for users ranging from high school students to senior particle physics researchers.
Engaging with the open data enables users to interact directly with ATLAS physicists for feedback and suggestions. Furthermore, this release marks the start of future open data releases, with ATLAS’ first release of lead-lead-nuclei collision data up next. The commitment to open data follows the broader culture of high-energy physics, which prioritizes accessibility, reproducibility, and better science.
For more information, visit the ATLAS Open Data portal (opendata.atlas.cern/) and the CERN Open Data portal (opendata.cern.ch/). The release has been reported by the ATLAS Experiment.
