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The ATLAS Open Data project

A Hub for High Energy Physics Learning and Research

Our History​

The ATLAS Open Data project was initiated in 2011 as part of the Education and Outreach program.

Our first significant releases of proton-proton collision data were made available in in 2016 for 8 TeV collisions and later in 2020 for 13 TeV collisions.

In 2024, ATLAS began to release Open Data for the purpose of scientific research, with 13 TeV proton-proton collisions followed by the first release of Heavy Ion collision data.

Several new releases are underway, including an updated, four-times-larger release of Open Data for Education and Outreach and the first release of event generation output to support theoretical and phenomenological research.

Our Mission

The ATLAS experiment at CERN generates large, rich, and unique datasets from high-energy proton and heavy-ion collisions within its detector, using them to explore the fundamental properties of particles in the Universe. The ATLAS Collaboration is committed to the progressive release of its data for public use, aiming to support educational initiatives, foster citizen science, and enhance the potential for scientific research.

The ATLAS Open Data project aspires to achieve:

  • Accessibility: Make the data and tools package accessible to everyone, keeping in mind the range of internet bandwidths, computer operating systems, mobile access, memory and RAM, and access to experts. It should still be analysable on older commodity hardware as to have a low technical entry barrier.
  • Transferable skills: Along with learning objectives related to particle physics, this dataset release can be used for capacity building in terms of programming, software and machine learning which are skills in demand inside and outside academia by providing examples of the downstream aspects of data analysis in C++/python.
  • Usability and versatility: Ensure that many different target audiences, with different backgrounds and skills are able to use the data and tools for a wide range of learning objectives and project goals.
  • Impact and wide reach: Push communication campaigns and prepare and deliver online and in person events.