CMS DAS 2026 Generators Short Exercise

Welcome to the CMS Data Analysis School 2026 Generators Short Exercise!

This exercise introduces Monte Carlo event generators and how they are used in high energy physics, focusing on the workflows used in CMS.

Prerequisites

Before going any further, please complete the CMS DAS Pre-Exercises and then follow the instructions on the setup page.

Facilitators

Lead Contact

Steve Mrenna, FERMILAB (stephen.mrenna@cern.ch)

All Facilitators

_{Steve Mrenna}
🖋
_{Kenichi Hatakeyama}
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_{Harshul Gupta}
🖋
_{Adam Vendrasco}
🖋
_{Larry Lee}
🖋

Mattermost Chat

The Generators Short Exercise channel will be available once you join the CMSDAS@LPC2026 team. Direction for how to join this Mattermost chat team can be found on the setup page.

Schedule

	Setup	Set-up your working environment
00:00	1. Matrix Element Generators	What are Monte Carlo Generators? Why are we using simulated samples in CMS? How are simulated samples created in CMS?
01:00	2. Parton Shower and Hadronization Models	Why do we need parton shower and hadronization? How are simulated samples created in CMS?
01:30	3. Analysis and systematic uncertainties	How can we use generator information for quick studies? What are systematic uncertainties coming from theory inputs?
02:00	4. CMS resources for samples and generators	How do I find centrally produced samples and their status? How do I obtain a cross section to normalize my sample?
02:15	Finish

The actual schedule may vary slightly depending on the topics and exercises chosen by the instructor.