Outlook on software framework in low and intermediate energy nuclear physics

Abstract

Over the past decades nuclear physics experiments have seen a drastic increase in complexity. With the arrival of second generation radioactive ion beam facilities all over the world, the run for exploring more and more exotic nuclei is raging. The low intensity of RI-beams requires more complex setup, larger solid angle coverage and detection of a wider variety of charged and neutral particles. Design, construction and operation of a variety of complex instruments used in such experiments require many software developments. The short lifetime of experimental setups and multiple combinations of instruments demand a strong methodology. As the community is shifting to this new paradigm, the quest for the optimum framework is becoming central in the field. In this outlook we will introduce the specificity of the nuclear physics community, technical needs of such frameworks, and give an overview of the existing ones, with an emphasize on the difficult balance between computing performances, versatility and integration with other frameworks.