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Scientific Visualization

Scientific visualization, sometimes referred to as visual data analysis, uses the graphical representation of data as a means of gaining understanding and insight into the data. Scientific visualization research at SCI has focused on applications spanning computational fluid dynamics, medical imaging and analysis, and fire simulations. Research involves novel algorithm development to building tools and systems that assist in the comprehension of massive amounts of scientific data. In helping researchers to comprehend spatial and temporal relationships between data, interactive techniques provide better cues than noninteractive techniques; therefore, much of scientific visualization research focuses on better methods for visualization and rendering at interactive rates.

Visualizing Fusion Instability
nimrod_31_eUnderstanding the complex behavior of magnetically confined fusion plasmas is an important goal of DOE's many fusion projects. The fusion community uses many different simulations to model the effects of physical and electromagnetic phenomena that contribute to plasma stability and effective plasma containment. These phenomena include radio frequency heating, stellerator and tokamak geometries, magnetic field evolution, and eddy stability.

Here we see the breakup of the magnetic field into a series of island chains, with a predominant 2:1 mode, left along with isosurfaces of the plasma temperature, right. The topology of the magnetic field is visualized using an analysis tool that produces a Poincaré map. Because the plasma equilibrates much more rapidly parallel to the magnetic field lines than perpendicular to the magnetic field lines, visualizing the magnetic field topology is necessary to the understanding how the plasma energy is deposited on the material wall. As the field becomes stochastic, the plasma cools rapidly. This cooling is highlighted by a series of transparent iso-temperature surfaces. Though the temperature profile remains as a series on nested contours they have deformed based on the topology of the magnetic field.