Graph Neural Network Acceleration on FPGAs for Fast Inference in Future Muon Triggers at HL-LHC

Abstract

The High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) will reach luminosities up to 7 times higher than the previous run, yielding denser events and larger occupancies. Next generation trigger algorithms must retain reliable selection within a strict latency budget. This work explores machine-learning approaches for future muon triggers, using the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer as a benchmark. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is used as a reference, while a Graph Neural Network (GNN) is introduced as a natural model for sparse detector data. Preliminary single-track studies show that GNNs achieve high efficiency with compact architectures, an encouraging result in view of FPGA deployment.