g4ppyy: automated Python bindings for GEANT4

TL;DR

This paper introduces g4ppyy, an automated Python binding for GEANT4 using cppyy, enabling easier development and visualization of particle physics simulations in Python, with initial benchmarking against C++ versions.

Contribution

It presents a novel Python interface for GEANT4 built with cppyy, including visualization tools and helper layers, enhancing accessibility and usability.

Findings

Successful development of Python bindings for GEANT4

Demonstrated visualization and simulation capabilities in Python

Initial benchmarking shows comparable performance to C++ implementations

Abstract

GEANT4 is a particle physics simulation tool used to develop and optimize radiation detectors. While C++ based examples exist, Python's growing popularity necessitates the development of a more accessible Python bindings interface. This work demonstrates the use of cppyy, the automated C++-Python binding package, to provide an accessible interface for developing applications with GEANT4. Coupled with newly developed Python visualization tools and a Python-specific helper layer, we demonstrate the suitability of the interface for use in constructing simplistic simulation scenarios showing some initial benchmarking studies when compared to a pure C++ equivalent simulation example.