Data volumes in pb^-1 and fb^-1

[JGLambourne]

Many of the particle physics lectures I've seen online quote the volumes of data required for various discoveries in pb^-1 or fb^-1.

For example, top quark searches at the Tevatron were quoted as accumulating 200pb^-1 while the total data recorded by the Tevatron so far amount to 5fb^-1 (see http://indico.cern.ch/materialDisplay.p ... nfId=44587 slides 33 and 39).

I'm confused by these inverse units. Is 1fb^-1 = 1000 pb^-1?

How do I compare two data volume values, i.e. is 1pb^-1 a larger volume of data than 2pb^-1, or vice versa?

[Anitusar]

I'm confused by these inverse units. Is 1fb^-1 = 1000 pb^-1?

How do I compare two data volume values, i.e. is 1pb^-1 a larger volume of data than 2pb^-1, or vice versa?

Yes, 1 fb^-1 is 1000 pb^-1, and 2 pb^-1 is double the statistic data of a 1 pb^-1 dataset.

[Harbles]

Here is a good item on Luminosity and cross section.

http://dorigo.wordpress.com/2006/08/28/ ... s-section/



Hopefully not a double post as I tried earlier and it never came up on the board.