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Description
This paper presents an absorption-line study of the multiphase circumgalactic medium (CGM) based on observations of Ly{alpha}, CII, CIV, SiII, SiIII, and SiIV absorption transitions in the vicinities of 195 galaxies at redshift z<0.176. The galaxy sample is established based on a cross-comparison between public galaxy and quasi-stellar object (QSO) survey data and is characterized by a median redshift of <z>=0.041, a median projected distance of <d>=362kpc to the sightline of the background QSO, and a median stellar mass of log(M_star_/M_{sun}_)=9.7+/-1.1. Comparing the absorber features identified in the QSO spectra with known galaxy properties has led to strong constraints for the CGM absorption properties at z<~0.176. First, abundant hydrogen gas is observed out to d~500kpc, well beyond the dark matter halo radius R_h_ of individual galaxies, with a mean covering fraction of ~60 percent. In contrast, no heavy elements are detected at d>~0.7R_h_ from either low-mass dwarfs or high-mass galaxies. The lack of detected heavy elements in low- and high-ionization states suggests that either there exists a chemical enrichment edge at d~0.7R_h_ or gaseous clumps giving rise to the observed absorption lines cannot survive at these large distances. Considering all galaxies at d>R_h_ leads to a strict upper limit for the covering fraction of heavy elements of ~3% (at a 95% confidence level) over d=(1-9)R_h_. At d<R_h_, differential covering fraction between low- and high-ionization gas is observed, suggesting that the CGM becomes progressively more ionized from d<0.3R_h_ to larger distances. Comparing CGM absorption observations at low and high redshifts shows that at a fixed fraction of R_h_ the CGM exhibits stronger mean absorption at z=2.2 than at z~0, and that the distinction is most pronounced in low-ionization species traced by CII and SiII absorption lines. We discuss possible pseudo-evolution of the CGM as a result of misrepresentation of halo radius, and present a brief discussion on the implications of these findings.
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