Moving beyond the limits of desktop computing to improve research potential in astronomy with remote visualisation and ultra-high resolution displays

As the demands of modern astronomical instruments and computer simulations continue to grow, the capability of the local desktop computer is being noticeably outpaced. This research investigates solutions to two key challenges facing astronomers. The first is the need to inspect Gigapixel astronomical imagery at native resolution, which can be achieved on ultra-high resolution displays, and the combination of visualisation technologies forming a display ecology. The second is the need to store and process data that significantly exceeds the capacity and processing capability of the desktop computer, by harnessing the power of high-end graphics cards in a virtual cloud desktop.