The Lyman-α Line as a Probe of the Early Universe
The Lyman-α Line as a Probe of the Early Universe
This chapter investigates a number of specific observational probes of the high-redshift Universe. It examines the Lyman-α line, an extraordinarily rich and useful—albeit complex—probe of both galaxies and the intergalactic medium (IGM). As established in the previous chapter, young star-forming galaxies can produce very bright Lyman-α emissions. Although the radiative transfer of these photons through their host galaxies is typically very complex, a good starting point is a simple model in which a fraction of stellar ionizing photons are absorbed within their source galaxy, forming embedded H II regions. The resulting protons and electrons then recombine, producing Lyman-α photons. Assuming ionization equilibrium, the rate of these recombinations must equal the rate at which ionizing photons are produced.
Keywords: Lyman-α line, observational probes, high-redshift galaxies, Lyman-α emissions, Lyman-α photons, star-forming galaxies, reionization, intergalactic medium
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