SIMBAD references

We present initial results from an ongoing large-scale study of the circumgalactic medium in the nearby Universe (cz  10,000 km s^–1), using archival Cosmic Origins Spectrograph spectra of background quasi-stellar objects. This initial sample contains 33 sightlines chosen for their proximity to large galaxies (D 25 kpc) and high signal-to-noise ratios (S/N 10), yielding 48 Lyα absorption lines that we have paired with 33 unique galaxies, with 29 cases where multiple absorbers within a single sightline are paired with the same galaxy. We introduce a likelihood parameter to facilitate the matching of galaxies to absorption lines in a reproducible manner. We find the usual anti-correlation between Lyα equivalent width (EW) and impact parameter (ρ) when we normalize by galaxy virial radius (R_vir). Galaxies associated with a Lyα absorber are found to be more highly inclined than galaxies in the survey volume at a  99 % confidence level (equivalent to ∼3.6σfor a normal distribution). In contrast with suggestions in other recent papers of a correlation with azimuth angle for Mg II absorption, we find no such correlation for Lyα.