Geant4 Optical Simulation without C++

TL;DR

The paper introduces an extension to Geant4's text-based geometry syntax, allowing comprehensive optical property configuration without C++ coding, thus simplifying and accelerating optical simulation setup.

Contribution

It details the implementation of new syntax tags for optical properties and validates them through various optical process examples, enhancing Geant4's usability.

Findings

Enabled optical simulations without C++ programming

Validated new syntax with key optical process examples

Demonstrated complex optical boundary configurations

Abstract

The plain text geometry description syntax in Geant4 has been extended to incorporate optical properties for bulk materials and surface interfaces. This extension enables users to configure and execute comprehensive optical simulations without writing C++ code, significantly lowering the learning curve and eliminating the need for frequent recompilation. In this paper, we detail the implementation of the new ":prop" and ":surf" tags and validate them through examples of key optical processes, including Cherenkov radiation, scintillation, Rayleigh scattering, and absorption. Furthermore, we provide a thorough demonstration of configuring complex optical boundaries using the UNIFIED model. These capabilities are contextualized through practical scenarios, showcasing the extension's potential for rapid prototyping and simulation studies.