ABSTRACT
The detection of the extended Lyman-alpha emission (or Lyman-alpha halos) around star-forming galaxies opens a new window for probing the circum-galactic medium (CGM) at high redshifts. With IFU observations (e.g., through MUSE), we are already capable of measuring the spatially resolved Lya spectra around individual galaxies, revealing a diverse population of the Lya emission. However, interpreting the observations requires modeling radiative transfer processes of Lya photons in the presence of neutral hydrogen. In this talk, I will present a modeling framework that enables us to fit and interpret the spatially resolved properties of the Lya emission around star-forming galaxies. I will describe a physically motivated model for CGM and an emulator for fitting observed Lya surface brightness profiles. Through applying the framework to observational data, I will discuss insights we learn on Lya sources, CGM properties, and their relations to galaxy formation. In the end, I will give a brief outlook on how the framework can be easily extended with improved CGM models and multiple Lya observables to deepen our understanding on CGM and galaxy formation.
BIO
Pengfei Li is a 4th-year graduate student advised by Prof. Zheng Zheng in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Utah. He is interested in topics related to galaxy formation, large scale structure, and cosmology. He is currently studying the Lyman-alpha emission in the circum-galactic medium at high redshifts from z=2 to z=6 by modeling Lyman-alpha radiative transfer. He got his bachelor's degree in Astronomy from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2020.
