Search for: All records

We report the initial findings of our Survey of the Circumgalactic Regions of the ALFALFA Galaxies (CRAG). We combine the blindly detected 21-cm HI sources of the ALFALFA catalog with archival HST/COS G130M QSO spectroscopic observations taken from the HST Spectroscopic Legacy Archive to quantify and characterize the circumgalactic medium (CGM) around these local, HI-rich galaxies. We find the covering factor of HI, as probed by Lyα, to be near unity within 50 kpc of all ALFALFA galaxies, regardless of HI mass, MHI. However, we have identified a significant correlation between the extent of the HI-bearing CGM beyond 50 kpc and MHI of the ALFALFA galaxies. We find the galaxies with log(MHI/M☉) > 9.5 give rise to Lyα covering factors > 0.5 out to 300 kpc, indicating the CGM of the most HI-rich galaxies of the ALFALFA sample fills a significant volume. At the same time we find the galaxies with log(MHI/M☉) < 9.5 give rise to substantively lower Lyα covering factors beyond 50 kpc. Most notably, the log(MHI/M☉) < 7.5 galaxies give rise to a Lyα covering factor < 0.3 beyond 50 kpc and negligible covering factors beyond 150 kpc. This work has been supported by NSF grant AST-1716569. 

As part of our Survey of the Circumgalactic Regions of the ALFALFA Galaxies (CRAG), we report on the analysis of QSO sightlines that pass within ~100 kpc of ALFALFA galaxies that show no discernable evidence of a circumgalactic medium (CGM) as probed by the presence of Lyα absorption. Many of these corresponding galaxies reside in group or cluster environments, in agreement with recent studies that indicate the nearby galaxy environment plays a significant role in determining the physical conditions of the CGM. However, we also identify a sample of isolated ALFALFA galaxies that show no evidence of HI within ~100 kpc - suggesting the physical distribution of the CGM around these galaxies is patchy and non-uniform, even within relatively small volumes around the galaxies. We explore photometric, spectroscopic, and imaging observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey in an attempt to characterize the properties these galaxies and the environments in which they reside. This work has been supported by NSF grant AST-1716569. 

As part of our Survey of the Circumgalactic Regions of the ALFALFA Galaxies (CRAG), we report on the identification and analysis of strong HI absorption in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of the ALFALFA galaxies as identified in archival HST/COS G130M QSO spectroscopic observations. We characterize the HI and metal content of these strong absorbers and explore the physical distribution of the CGM for these galaxies. Using photometric, spectroscopic, and imaging observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we analyze the environments of these galaxies. We also summarize the gas-galaxy connection for this sample of strong HI absorbers and HI-rich galaxies. This work has been supported by NSF grant AST-1716569.