Multi-scale three-dimensional visualization of emission, scattering and
  absorption in active galactic nuclei using Virtual Observatories tools
  Whether aimed for the study of the planetary systems, the distribution of the
stars in the galaxies or the formation of the large-scale structures in the
Universe, the sizes of numerical simulations are becoming increasingly
important in terms of their virtual volumes and computer memories. The
visualization of the data becomes more complicated with the requirement of the
exposition of the large number of data points. In order to lighten such burden,
Virtual Observatories (VO) have been developed and are now essential tools in
astronomy to share existing data, for visualization and for data analysis.
Using a software, currently being developed at the Centre de Donn\'ees de
Strasbourg (CDS) jointly with the Astronomical Observatory of Strasbourg, we
show how three-dimensional radiative transfer simulations of active galactic
nuclei (AGN) can be visualized in order to extract new information. The ability
to zoom over ten orders of magnitude and to journey inside/between the multiple
scattering regions allows to identify where emission, scattering, and
absorption truly take place. Among all the new possibilities offered by the
software, it is possible to test the single-scattering hypothesis or evaluate
the impact of fragmentation onto the propagation of light echoes within the
broad line region (BLR) or the circumnuclear region (torus).
