Sonification Sonification in Theoretical Physicsin Theoretical Physics

Katharina VogtProf. W. PlessasProf. R. Höldrich

Todtmoos, 12th september 2007

Oversound

• Bats• Doppler effect • Alarm • Geiger counter• Computer sounds• Sonar• Heart beat• Bells

Overview

Motivation

Auditory Display and Sonification• Examples• Methods

Sonifications…• …of Numerical Spin Models• …in Lattice QCD

Outlook

Motivation

Auditory Display and Sonification• Examples• Methods

Sonifications…• …of Numerical Spin Models• …in Lattice QCD

Outlook

Motivation

• Science focused on visualisation

• Changes: – real time audio synthesis software– human audition– growing amounts of data

• Auditory Display:

possible alternative and complement

Motivation

Auditory Display and Sonification• Examples• Methods

Sonifications…• …of Numerical Spin Models• …in Lattice QCD

Outlook

Galilei

Doppler effect

Examples

• Galilei, Dopplereffekt• Discovery of Quantum Fluctuations• Plasma and Radio Wave Science• Listening to Earthquakes • Oscillations of yeast cells with AFM• EEG - data• Social Sciences

Example: Quantum Oscillations

Pereverzev S. V. , Loshak A., Backhaus S., Davies J.C. and Packard R. E., „Quantum Oscillations between two weakly coupled reservoirs of superfluid 3He“, Nature, Vol. 388, July 1997, pp. 449 – 451.

Josephson B. D. „Possible new effects of superconductive tunneling“, Phys. Lett. 1, 251 – 253, 1962.

f=(2-1)/h ... mean energy per particle

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Auditory Display / Sonfication

• 1992 - 1st International Conference on Auditory Display (ICAD)

• Sonification = use of audio to convey information• Applications:

– Auditory Graphs

– Attensons

– Earcons

– Auditory Icons

Methods in research

Audification:• mapped to 1-d• ev. transposed

Parameter mapping:

Model-based sonification

Advantages

Advantages

+ eyes-free conditions + high temporal and frequency resolution+ parallel audio streams+ the formation of auditory gestalt + backgrounding+ usually interactive

Furthermore in physics:+ many (parameter) dimensions + audio streams as mathematical subspaces+ wave phenomena in nature

Disadvantages

- low resolution in some variables- potentially the annoyance- no persistence - user limitations and cultural bias- longer history of visualisation- the lack of absolute value and perceptual

orthogonality

Aims of Sonification

1. Alternative representation of data

2. Use of audition in order to analyse scientific data

3. Artistic application

Motivation

Auditory Display and Sonification• Examples• Methods

Sonifications…• …of Numerical Spin Models• …in Lattice QCD

Outlook

Sonifications so far

SonEnvir - Sonification Environment (2005-2007)

• Spin models (Ising and Potts model)• Pilot project on topological objects in QCD• Baryon spectra of CQMs• Simple sonifications of the Dirac spectrum• Smaller projects: chaotic double pendulum,

logistic equation

Ising and Potts Model

Ising model:• spin up and down• phase transition

magnetic/ non-magnetic

Potts model:• discrete,• q vectors on unit circle• For q5 1st order phase transition• For q4 continuous€

H = −J SiS j(i, j )nn

∑ − h Sii

∑

Audification of the Ising model

Sequentialisation: (“torus-path” or Hilbert curve)

Parameter Mapping of Ising Model

Motivation

Auditory Display and Sonification• Examples• Methods

Sonifications…• …of Numerical Spin Models• …in Lattice QCD

Outlook

Sonification in lattice QCD - pilot study

topological charge20 configurations - 15 smearing steps€

Q =g2

16π 2d4xεμνρσ∫ Fμν Fρσ

Sonification in lattice QCD - pilot study

Motivation

Auditory Display and Sonification• Examples• Methods

Sonifications…• …of Numerical Spin Models• …in Lattice QCD

Outlook

Outlook

• XY-model

• Lattice QCD

Sonification is a possible alternative and complement to visualisation and data analysis, also in physics.

Audio examples:• http://sonenvir.at/data• www.icad.org