Influence of turbulence on Lyman-alpha scattering
Abstract
We develop a Monte Carlo radiative transfer code to study the effect of turbulence with a finite correlation length on scattering of Lyman-alpha (Lyα) photons propagating through neutral atomic hydrogen gas. We investigate how the effective mean free path, the emergent spectrum, and the average number of scatterings that Lyα photons experience change in the presence of turbulence. We find that the correlation length is an important and sensitive parameter that has an influence on physically relevant properties of Lyα radiative transfer. In particular, it can significantly, by orders of magnitude, reduce the number of scattering events that the average Lyα photon undergoes before it escapes the turbulent cloud.
Turn this paper into a lesson
ArcXiv compiles a structured reading guide from this paper's metadata: plain-English importance, contributions, prerequisite concepts, which sections to read first, flashcards, and a quiz. Grounded in the abstract, never invented.