E0102-VR: Exploring the scientific potential of Virtual Reality for observational astrophysics

摘要

Virtual Reality (VR) technology has been subject to a rapid democratization in recent years, driven in large by the entertainment industry, and epitomized by the emergence of consumer-grade, plug-and-play, room-scale VR devices. To explore the scientific potential of this technology for the field of observational astrophysics, we have created an experimental VR application: E0102 VR. The specific scientific goal of this application is to facilitate the characterization of the 3D structure of the oxygen-rich ejecta in the young supernova remnant 1E0102.2-7219 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Using E0102 VR, we measure the physical size of two large cavities in the system, including a (7.0 +/- 0.5) pc-long funnel structure on the far-side of the remnant. The E0102 VR application, albeit experimental, demonstrates the benefits of using human depth perception for a rapid and accurate characterization of complex 3D structures. Given the implementation costs (time-wise) of a dedicated VR application like E0102 VR, we conclude that the future of VR for scientific purposes in astrophysics most likely resides in the development of a robust, generic application dedicated to the exploration and visualization of 3D observational datasets, akin to a "ds9-VR". (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.