Dynamic line integral convolution for visualizing electromagnetic phenomena

Abstract

Vector field visualization is a useful tool in science and engineering, giving us a powerful way of understanding the structure and evolution of the field. A fairly recent technique called Line Integral Convolution (LIC) has improved the level of detail that can be visualized by convolving a random input texture along the streamlines in the vector field. This thesis extends the technique to time-varying vector fields, where the motion of the field lines is specified explicitly via another vector field. The sequence of images generated is temporally coherent, clearly showing the evolution of the fields over time, while at the same time each individual image retains the characteristics of the LIC technique. This thesis describes the new technique, entitled Dynamic Line Integral Convolution, and explores its application to experiments in electromagnetism.