Immersive VR Enhances Detector Analysis for High-Energy Physics

Physicists Yu-Mei Zhang and Zheng-Yun You led a research team in developing a groundbreaking VR-based visualization framework. This innovative system is designed to render complex detector geometries and event information. Its primary goal is to optimize simulation and reconstruction algorithms and significantly enhance physics analysis.

The approach also holds substantial potential for broader application in other large-scale scientific facilities.

VR technology, powered by the Unity engine, has emerged as a crucial visualization solution in high-energy physics experiments. This particular study focused on the JUNO experiment, establishing an immersive virtual environment to overcome limitations found in traditional 3D rendering and cross-platform interactivity. The environment meticulously aligns with detector geometric descriptions and event information derived from offline software. It translates extensive offline data, including intricate details of tens of thousands of Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs), into rich VR scenes. This provides researchers with a comprehensive, internal view of detector structures and physics events.

Intuitive Interaction with Detector Data

An advanced application was specifically developed for the Meta Quest 3 Head-Mounted Display. It features a sophisticated Spatial User Interface, incorporating intuitive control panels for sub-detector geometry and event display. Researchers can utilize handheld controllers to manage sub-detectors and event information, interact with individual detector units, and freely navigate the virtual environment. This capability allows for detailed inspection of internal detector geometry and the specifics of physics events.

Advanced Event Visualization and Analysis

The visualization method employed by the framework offers detailed insights. It renders PMT hit information using a precise color gradient, transitioning from light blue to dark blue to represent hit multiplicity. A dynamic particle system is utilized to simulate intricate photon propagation paths within the detector.

The system provides specific interaction modes tailored for different event types:

• For Inverse Beta Decay (IBD) signals, it vividly visualizes the temporal correlation between positron and neutron signals, accurately noting the characteristic approximately 170 µs delay.
• For high-energy cosmic muons, the system precisely reproduces their trajectories and energy deposition patterns.

Crucially, event evolutions can be replayed and inspected with remarkable precision, down to nanosecond increments.

Impact and Future Prospects

The platform is already being applied to critical detector operations, including the rigorous analysis of neutrino signal events and the challenging search for rare signals. Future research endeavors will leverage this immersive experience to examine intricate event hit patterns, aiming to identify anomalies within complex datasets.

Professor Zheng-Yun You stated that "VR technology provides physicists with an analysis platform simulating an experience inside the detector, allowing exploration of data in three-dimensional space, observation from multiple perspectives, and identification of patterns and anomalies."