Anne Verhamme (The Observatory of Geneva, Switzerland)
Lyman-alpha radiation transfer effects in galaxies

The Hydrogen Lyman-alpha line, strongest recombination line of the most abundant atom in the Universe, is observed in a broad range of astrophysical contexts. However, it's resonant nature complicates the interpretation of most Lyman-alpha observations. Radiation transfer studies can help understanding the complicated alteration of the line along its travel to the observer. I will present concrete effects of radiation transfer in simple geometrical configurations, and in more realistic simulations of galaxy formation and Lyman-alpha blobs. I will describe implications of my work for the interpretation of Lyman-alpha properties of galaxies, in the local universe and at high redshift.