Fast visualization methods for comparing dynamics: a case study in combustion

Visualization can be an important tool for displaying, categorizing and digesting large quantities of inter-related information during laboratory and simulation experiments. Summary visualizations that compare and represent data sets in the context of a collection are particularly valuable. Applicable visualizations used in these settings must be fast (near real time) and should allow the addition of data sets as they are acquired without requiring rerendering of the visualization. This paper examines several visualization techniques for representing collections of data sets in a combustion experiment including spectral displays, tiling and geometric mappings of symmetry. The application provides insight into how such visualizations might be used in practical real-time settings to assist in exploration and in conducting parameter space surveys.