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

Abstract: 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 1E 0102.2-7219 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Using E0102-VR, we measure the physical size of two large cavities in the system, including a (7.0$\pm$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''.