In order to evaluate and test physical models of neutrino interactions and productions, a huge variety of simulations need to be performed and compared to the data taken with the KM3NeT detectors.
- a few words about hardware simulations
- different types of event generators
- particle interaction simulations
- light propagation
- detector response
## Event simulations
In order to evaluate and test physical models of neutrino interactions and
productions, a huge variety of simulations need to be performed and compared to
the data taken with the KM3NeT detectors. Several parts of the detector are
modelled including photomultiplier tube characteristics, complex electronic
components that process signals of those in sub-nanosecond time regimes, the
high throughput data distribution over heterogeneous networks and also physical
properties of the environment (like seawater, atmosphere...) and the materials
used. All these are carefully taken into account when simulating the overall
detector response of particle interactions.
The first level of event simulation starts with the incoming primary particle:
neutrinos produced in cosmic events or for example atmospheric neutrinos and
muons produced by cosmic radiation in the Earth's atmosphere. These primary
particles eventually trigger events in the detector after a usually large chain
of interactions. The second level of the simulation chain takes care of the
propagation of these particles and additional particles produced in along their
way through the atmosphere, Earth and seawater -- depending on their travel path
-- until they reach the detector volume. In the final step, the light produced
by the particles is simulated and propagated to the highly sensitive optical
modules where they are digitised and passed to the above mentioned hardware
