# acts

> Experiment-independent toolkit for (charged) particle track reconstruction in (high energy) physics experiments implemented in modern C++

**Wikidata**: [Q120964479](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q120964479)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/acts

## Summary
Acts (A Common Tracking Software) is an experiment-independent, open-source toolkit for charged particle track reconstruction in high-energy physics experiments, written in modern C++. It provides a set of algorithms and tools that can be integrated into various physics experiments to process and analyze particle trajectory data.

## Key Facts
- **Description**: Experiment-independent toolkit for (charged) particle track reconstruction in (high energy) physics experiments implemented in modern C++.
- **License**: Mozilla Public License, version 2.0.
- **Developers**: Andreas Salzburger, Paul Gessinger-Befurt.
- **Category**: Free software.
- **Website**: https://acts.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/acts-project/acts
- **Download URL**: https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases
- **Versions**: Multiple releases documented (e.g., v0.10.04 to v0.16.00).
- **Source Project**: Described by the "A Common Tracking Software Project".

## FAQs
### Q: What is Acts used for?
A: Acts is used for charged particle track reconstruction in high-energy physics experiments. It serves as a toolkit to help physicists process and understand the trajectory data of particles.

### Q: Is Acts free to use?
A: Yes, Acts is distributed as free software under the Mozilla Public License, version 2.0.

### Q: Where can I find the source code for Acts?
A: The source code for Acts is hosted on GitHub at https://github.com/acts-project/acts.

### Q: Who are the developers of Acts?
A: Key developers associated with Acts include Andreas Salzburger and Paul Gessinger-Befurt.

## Why It Matters
Acts addresses a critical need in the high-energy physics community for a standardized, experiment-independent solution for track reconstruction. Before tools like Acts, different experiments often had to develop their own custom reconstruction software, leading to duplicated effort and a lack of interoperability. By providing a modern C++ toolkit that is not tied to a specific experiment, Acts fosters code reuse, simplifies maintenance, and allows researchers to benefit from collective improvements and optimizations. This accelerates the development cycle for new experiments and ensures that robust, well-tested reconstruction algorithms are widely available.

## Notable For
- **Experiment-Independent Design**: Unlike many track reconstruction tools tied to specific detector setups, Acts is designed to be generic and adaptable.
- **Modern C++ Implementation**: Utilizes contemporary C++ standards for performance and maintainability.
- **Open-Source Contribution**: Serves as a community resource under the Mozilla Public License, encouraging collaboration and shared development.
- **Association with Key Developers**: Developed by notable figures in the field like Andreas Salzburger.

## Body
### Purpose and Function
Acts is a software toolkit specifically designed for the reconstruction of charged particle tracks. Its primary application is within high-energy physics experiments, where understanding the paths of particles is essential for data analysis.

### Technical Foundation
The toolkit is implemented in modern C++, a standard choice in scientific computing for its balance of performance and abstraction. It is classified as free software, distributed under the Mozilla Public License, version 2.0, which permits users to freely use, study, modify, and distribute the software.

### Development and Availability
The project is actively developed, with a public source code repository hosted on GitHub. Key contributors to the project include Andreas Salzburger and Paul Gessinger-Befurt. The software is available for download from its GitHub releases page.

### Release History
The project has seen multiple releases, with version numbers ranging from v0.10.04 to v0.16.00 in the provided data. These releases are documented with reference materials available on GitHub.

### Resources and Documentation
The official website for Acts is hosted at `acts.readthedocs.io`, providing documentation and the latest information. The project is further described by "A Common Tracking Software Project," indicating its foundational role in common tracking software efforts.

## References

1. [Release 0.10.04. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.10.04)
2. [Release 0.10.05. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.10.05)
3. [Release 0.11.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.11.00)
4. [Release 0.11.01. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.11.01)
5. [Release 0.12.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.12.00)
6. [Release 0.12.01. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.12.01)
7. [Release 0.13.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.13.00)
8. [Release 0.14.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.14.00)
9. [Release 0.15.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.15.00)
10. [Release 0.16.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.16.00)
11. [Release 0.17.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.17.00)
12. [Release 0.18.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.18.00)
13. [Release 0.19.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.19.00)
14. [Release 0.20.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.20.00)
15. [Release 0.21.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.21.00)
16. [Release 0.22.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.22.00)
17. [Release 0.22.01. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.22.01)
18. [Release 0.23.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.23.00)
19. [Release 0.24.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.24.00)
20. [Release 0.25.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.25.00)
21. [Release 0.25.01. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.25.01)
22. [Release 0.25.02. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.25.02)
23. [Release 0.26.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.26.00)
24. [Release 0.27.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.27.00)
25. [Release 0.27.01. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.27.01)
26. [Release 0.28.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.28.00)
27. [Release 0.29.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.29.00)
28. [Release 0.30.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.30.00)
29. [Release 0.31.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.31.00)
30. [Release 0.32.00. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v0.32.00)
31. [Release 1.0.0. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v1.0.0)
32. [Release 1.1.0. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v1.1.0)
33. [Release 1.2.0. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v1.2.0)
34. [Release 1.2.1. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v1.2.1)
35. [Release 2.0.0. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v2.0.0)
36. [Release 3.0.0. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v3.0.0)
37. [Release 4.0.0. 2020](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v4.0.0)
38. [Release 4.1.0. 2021](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v4.1.0)
39. [Release 5.0.0. 2021](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v5.0.0)
40. [Release 6.0.0. 2021](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v6.0.0)
41. [Release 7.0.0. 2021](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v7.0.0)
42. [Release 8.0.0. 2021](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v8.0.0)
43. [Release 8.1.0. 2021](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v8.1.0)
44. [Release 8.2.0. 2021](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v8.2.0)
45. [Release 8.3.0. 2021](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v8.3.0)
46. [Release 9.0.0. 2021](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v9.0.0)
47. [Release 9.0.1. 2021](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v9.0.1)
48. [Release 9.1.0. 2021](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v9.1.0)
49. [Release 9.1.1. 2022](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v9.1.1)
50. [Release 9.1.2. 2022](https://github.com/acts-project/acts/releases/tag/v9.1.2)