Modern computation generates data -- lots and lots of data. Obtaining scientific knowledge from the results requires synthesizing vast datasets into fundamental understanding. A single image is unrivaled in its ability to produce not only insight but also beauty, revealing as a distillate what otherwise remains impenetrably hidden: 'a picture is worth a thousand terabytes.'

In visualization many aesthetic choices must be made. While an image from a computer simulation or a vast dataset can be functional, it can also be aesthetic. Astrophysics is a discipline rich in natural beauty, from planets and stars to galaxies and the large-scale structure of the Universe.

This project is dedicated to the most arresting, most captivating, and most pioneering visualization efforts in computational astrophysics. The hope is to inspire and motivate work beyond the functional, and to capture the evolving language of design within the context of our humble corner of space.

Have a suggestion or an amazing example? Suggestions are always welcome.

Dylan Nelson

turbulent solar wind

The magnetic field of the turbulent solar wind interacting with a comet, colored by magnitude. Such an interaction, between a turbulent plasma flow (such as the solar wind) and an obstacle (such as a magnetosphere) is numerically simulated with a hybrid particle-in-cell (PIC) method, providing a global picture of this complex interaction. The line integral contour (LIC) visualization technique highlights the structure and flow of the underlying vector field.

Methods: MENURA code

date added Jan. 16, 2023

categories 2d, solar

author Etienne Behar

origin arXiv 2301.08478