_version_ 1866918532474732544
author Hayes, Matthew J.
Rubin, Kate H. R.
Berg, Michelle A.
France, Kevin
Oey, Sally
Augustin, Ramona
Burchett, Joseph N.
Carr, Cody A.
Coil, Alison L.
Flury, Sophia R.
Hummels, Cameron
Kulkarni, Varsha P.
McCandliss, Stephan R.
Mingozzi, Matilde
Nelson, Dylan
Peng, Zixuan
Rutkowski, Michael
Saldana-Lopez, Alberto
Tumlinson, Jason
Tuttle, Sarah
van de Voort, Freeke
Wakker, Bart P.
Werk, Jessica K.
author_facet Hayes, Matthew J.
Rubin, Kate H. R.
Berg, Michelle A.
France, Kevin
Oey, Sally
Augustin, Ramona
Burchett, Joseph N.
Carr, Cody A.
Coil, Alison L.
Flury, Sophia R.
Hummels, Cameron
Kulkarni, Varsha P.
McCandliss, Stephan R.
Mingozzi, Matilde
Nelson, Dylan
Peng, Zixuan
Rutkowski, Michael
Saldana-Lopez, Alberto
Tumlinson, Jason
Tuttle, Sarah
van de Voort, Freeke
Wakker, Bart P.
Werk, Jessica K.
contents We present the case for imaging ultraviolet line emission from highly ionized metals and HI Lya in the circumgalactic medium of galaxies, should the Hubble Space Telescope receive an orbital boost. Hubble can uniquely probe emission lines with ionization potentials between 13 and 200 electron-volts (Lya, CIV, OVI, NeVIII, etc). Spatial mapping of the diffuse material traced by these transitions is critical to constraining the physics of feedback and the energetic exchange between galaxies and their circumgalactic environments, as well as basic morphologies of the dominant mass component. Deep high-resolution mapping of these features will not be possible with any other observatory, existing or planned, until HWO is launched, which leaves HST as a critical observatory to test key science drivers for HWO. If HST receives an orbital boost, it can (a) provide the first statistical constraints on the spatial distribution of warm-hot CGM and (b) provide important avenues for science case development, as well as target/pointing selection, for HWO's upcoming spectroscopic facilities.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2606_00164
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Astronomical Advantages of a Boost Mission to Facilitate HST Science into the 2030s: Imaging the Circumgalactic Medium of Galaxies
Hayes, Matthew J.
Rubin, Kate H. R.
Berg, Michelle A.
France, Kevin
Oey, Sally
Augustin, Ramona
Burchett, Joseph N.
Carr, Cody A.
Coil, Alison L.
Flury, Sophia R.
Hummels, Cameron
Kulkarni, Varsha P.
McCandliss, Stephan R.
Mingozzi, Matilde
Nelson, Dylan
Peng, Zixuan
Rutkowski, Michael
Saldana-Lopez, Alberto
Tumlinson, Jason
Tuttle, Sarah
van de Voort, Freeke
Wakker, Bart P.
Werk, Jessica K.
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
We present the case for imaging ultraviolet line emission from highly ionized metals and HI Lya in the circumgalactic medium of galaxies, should the Hubble Space Telescope receive an orbital boost. Hubble can uniquely probe emission lines with ionization potentials between 13 and 200 electron-volts (Lya, CIV, OVI, NeVIII, etc). Spatial mapping of the diffuse material traced by these transitions is critical to constraining the physics of feedback and the energetic exchange between galaxies and their circumgalactic environments, as well as basic morphologies of the dominant mass component. Deep high-resolution mapping of these features will not be possible with any other observatory, existing or planned, until HWO is launched, which leaves HST as a critical observatory to test key science drivers for HWO. If HST receives an orbital boost, it can (a) provide the first statistical constraints on the spatial distribution of warm-hot CGM and (b) provide important avenues for science case development, as well as target/pointing selection, for HWO's upcoming spectroscopic facilities.
title Astronomical Advantages of a Boost Mission to Facilitate HST Science into the 2030s: Imaging the Circumgalactic Medium of Galaxies
topic Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.00164