The Highly Ionized Circumgalactic Medium is Kinematically Uniform Around
  Galaxies
  The circumgalactic medium (CGM) traced by OVI $\lambda\lambda 1031, 1037$
doublet absorption has been found to concentrate along the projected major and
minor axes of the host galaxies. This suggests that OVI traces accreting and
outflowing gas, respectively, which are key components of the baryon cycle of
galaxies. We investigate this further by examining the kinematics of 29 OVI
absorbers associated with galaxies at $0.13 < z_{\rm gal} < 0.66$ as a function
of galaxy color, inclination, and azimuthal angle. Each galaxy was imaged with
HST and the absorption was detected in COS/HST spectra of nearby ($D<200$ kpc)
background quasars. We use the pixel-velocity two-point correlation function to
characterize the velocity spread of the absorbers, which is a method used
previously for a sample of MgII absorber--galaxy pairs. The absorption velocity
spread for OVI is more extended than MgII, which suggests that the two ions
trace differing components of the CGM. Also contrary to MgII, the OVI
absorption velocity spreads are similar regardless of galaxy color,
inclination, and azimuthal angle. This indicates that the kinematics of the
high ionization gas is not strongly influenced by the present star formation
activity in the galaxy. The kinematic homogeneity of OVI absorption and its
tendency to be observed mainly along the projected galaxy major and minor axes
is likely due to varying ionization conditions and gas densities about the
galaxy. Gas in intermediate azimuthal angles may be ionized out of the OVI
phase, possibly resulting in an azimuthal angle dependence on the distribution
of gas in higher ionization states.
