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OVI resonant scattering?
This project investigates whether the extended O VI emission observed around galaxies can be explained by resonant radiative transfer. By combining radiative transfer calculations with models of the circumgalactic medium, it aims to predict observable spectra and surface brightness profiles and assess the importance of scattering in shaping O VI halos.
Recent observations have revealed extended halos of O VI emission around galaxies, tracing gas at temperatures of roughly a few hundred thousand Kelvin in the circumgalactic medium. However, the physical origin of this emission remains uncertain. While O VI photons may be produced locally through collisional excitation or recombination, they may also undergo resonant scattering, redistributing photons over large distances and altering the observed morphology and spectral signatures.
In this project you will develop and apply radiative transfer models for O VI emission and scattering in realistic circumgalactic gas distributions. The goal is to predict spectra, line profiles, and surface brightness distributions, and to determine whether the observed O VI halos can plausibly arise from resonant scattering or require substantial in-situ emission throughout the halo.