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| Paper: |
Mapping Galactic Winds and Small-scale Structure in the Circumgalactic Medium with Habitable Worlds Observatory |
| Monograph: |
10, HWO25 Proceedings Part I: Community Science Case Development Documents |
| Page: |
251 |
| Authors: |
Joseph N. Burchett; Deborah M. Lokhorst; Yakov Faerman; Kevin France; Kate H. R. Rubin; David S. N. Rupke; Sanchayeeta Borthakur |
| DOI: |
10.26624/PXCG4616 |
| Abstract: |
We present a science case for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) to map the circumgalactic medium
(CGM) in emission by targeting ultraviolet emission lines, which trace the 104
−106 K gas engaged in the
feedback and accretion mechanisms driving galaxy evolution. While the CGM-galaxy connection is clearly
evident through absorption line experiments and limited work done in optical and radio emission from the
ground, the nature of this connection is poorly understood with regard to how these cosmic ecosystems exchange matter and energy. We outline a two-pronged experiment with Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)
utilizing both multi-object spectroscopy to map kpc-scale CGM structures such as galactic superwinds and integral field spectroscopy to unveil the sub-kpc-scale processes such as thermal instabilities, which are theorized
to govern the cool gas reservoirs long detected in pencil-beam absorption surveys.
This article is an adaptation of a science case document developed for the HWO CGM/IGM Working
Group. The core material herein was also peer reviewed and published in the Journal of Astronomical
Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems (Burchett et al. 2025) |
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