Accelerating Axial-Symmetrical Nebulae Visualization and Reconstruction

Abstract

Nebulae are colorful astronomical phenomena that have a mesmerizing appearance. Researching them is difficult, since they are many light-years away. As a result of this, we can only observe them from one viewpoint: Earth. The appearance of nebulae is almost always unique, because of the many factors that influence it. Still, there exist a class of nebulae with a pronounced axial-symmetry in their appearance. The axial-symmetry in these nebulae gives us an indication on how particles in the nebulae will be distributed. We can exploit this symmetry and represent the 3D volume of such a nebulae using a 2D map that is rotated around the symmetry axis. Previous methods converted the 2D map into a 3D volume before rendering, but we propose a novel visualization technique whereby only the 2D map is used. A benefit of representing the nebula using a 2D map is that it is easier to modify than a 3D volume, making it easy to model plausible looking nebulae. We also propose new techniques for reconstructing the 2D map of existing nebulae from telescope images. Combining our achievements in visualization and reconstruction makes it possible to view real axial-symmetrical nebulae from novel viewpoints. Finally, we propose methods to reintroduce asymmetries in volumes of the axial-symmetrical nebulae. These irregularities are also found in real axial-symmetrical nebulae and make the visualizations appear even more realistic.