SHINE software shows data using virtual reality

A new piece of free, online software, called SHINE3D, has been developed by researchers at CERN's NA61/SHINE experiment to show the physics data they're creating in 3-D.

The software allows anybody to visualise exactly the tracks particles leave as they fly through the detector inside the experiment, and will help to explain the physics as well as provide scientists with a new way of analysing the data.

"We wanted it to be accessible and understandable for everyone, so even a child could see how interesting it is. This is a very important task for all of the experiments at CERN - to bring science closer to people," explains Filip Michalski who created the website with his colleague Taras Palayda at the University of Wrocław.

While the 3-D visualisations can be explored on any web browser, the software also allows anyone with virtual reality goggles to get even closer to the raw data.