VIGOR: Virtual Interaction with Gravitational Waves to Observe Relativity

POSTER

Abstract

In 2017 a century after Albert Einstein published his theory of general relativity, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detected gravitational waves from binary black holes fully consistent with this theory. Our goal for VIGOR (Virtual-reality Interaction with Gravitational waves to Observe Relativity) is to communicate this revolutionary discovery to the public by visualizing the gravitational waves emitted by binary black holes. VIGOR has been developed using the Unity game engine, handheld devices and VR headsets (Oculus Rift DK2 and Samsung Gear VR). Using an iPad or a VR device, VIGOR users control the earth to “fly” around binary black holes, experiment on the black holes by manipulating their total mass, mass ratio, and orbital sepa-ration, and witness how gravitational waves emitted by the black holes stretch and squeeze the earth. We evaluated our prototype of VIGOR with high school students in 2016 and 2017 and are further improving VIGOR based on our findings.

Authors

  • Monisha Elumalai

    Graduate Student

  • Midori Kitagawa

    University of Texas at Dallas, Faculty

  • Michael Kesden

    University of Texas at Dallas, Faculty, Univ of Texas, Dallas

  • Ngoc Tran

    None

  • Qiye Zheng

    Santa Fe Institute, Baylor University, University of Texas at Dallas, Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Jozef Stefan Institute, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, Texas 75429, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, Texas A&M University, Department of Physics, Texas State University, Department of Physics, Baylor University, University of Texas at El Paso, Univ of Texas, El Paso, University of Science and Technology of China, The University of Texas at Dallas, Faculty, None, Southwestern University, Texas State University, Texas A&M University - Commerce, UT Southwestern Medical Center, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, The Cyclotron Institute at Texas A&M University, Department of Biological Sciences, Texas State Univ-San Marcos, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Univ of Texas, Dallas, N.Chiao Tung U., UT Dallas, Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis Group, Utrecht University, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Baylor University, Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Chicago, The University of Mississippi, Astronomical Observatory, Warsaw University, Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, University of Houston, NASA-GSFC and UMBC, MD, Virginia Tech, VA, Texas Christian University, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Physics, Teivecca Nazarene University, Weatherford College, Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate, WPAFB, OH, USA, Air Force Research Laboratory, Directed Energy Directorate, KAFB, NM, US, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio TX, USA, University of Arizona, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Stanford University, Harvard Center for Astrophysics, Texas A\&M University, UTSW, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375

  • Qiye Zheng

    Santa Fe Institute, Baylor University, University of Texas at Dallas, Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Jozef Stefan Institute, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, Texas 75429, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, Texas A&M University, Department of Physics, Texas State University, Department of Physics, Baylor University, University of Texas at El Paso, Univ of Texas, El Paso, University of Science and Technology of China, The University of Texas at Dallas, Faculty, None, Southwestern University, Texas State University, Texas A&M University - Commerce, UT Southwestern Medical Center, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, The Cyclotron Institute at Texas A&M University, Department of Biological Sciences, Texas State Univ-San Marcos, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Univ of Texas, Dallas, N.Chiao Tung U., UT Dallas, Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis Group, Utrecht University, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Baylor University, Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Chicago, The University of Mississippi, Astronomical Observatory, Warsaw University, Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, University of Houston, NASA-GSFC and UMBC, MD, Virginia Tech, VA, Texas Christian University, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Physics, Teivecca Nazarene University, Weatherford College, Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate, WPAFB, OH, USA, Air Force Research Laboratory, Directed Energy Directorate, KAFB, NM, US, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio TX, USA, University of Arizona, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Stanford University, Harvard Center for Astrophysics, Texas A\&M University, UTSW, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375

  • Qiye Zheng

    Santa Fe Institute, Baylor University, University of Texas at Dallas, Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Jozef Stefan Institute, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, Texas 75429, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, Texas A&M University, Department of Physics, Texas State University, Department of Physics, Baylor University, University of Texas at El Paso, Univ of Texas, El Paso, University of Science and Technology of China, The University of Texas at Dallas, Faculty, None, Southwestern University, Texas State University, Texas A&M University - Commerce, UT Southwestern Medical Center, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, The Cyclotron Institute at Texas A&M University, Department of Biological Sciences, Texas State Univ-San Marcos, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Univ of Texas, Dallas, N.Chiao Tung U., UT Dallas, Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis Group, Utrecht University, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Baylor University, Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Chicago, The University of Mississippi, Astronomical Observatory, Warsaw University, Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, University of Houston, NASA-GSFC and UMBC, MD, Virginia Tech, VA, Texas Christian University, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Physics, Teivecca Nazarene University, Weatherford College, Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate, WPAFB, OH, USA, Air Force Research Laboratory, Directed Energy Directorate, KAFB, NM, US, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio TX, USA, University of Arizona, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Stanford University, Harvard Center for Astrophysics, Texas A\&M University, UTSW, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375