The Digital Press

Dwarf galaxies lose a large portion of their mass and metals to their surrounding gas, especially in a warm gas phase in the circumgalactic medium (CGM). This study uses simulations to explore how much mass and metals reside in the CGM and how this relates to galaxy mass and observations.

Why it matters: The warm CGM holds nearly half of all baryons and a significant metal fraction, shaping dwarf galaxy evolution.

The big picture: About 70% of CGM mass is warm gas beyond half the virial radius, explaining low ion detection limits at larger distances.

Stunning stat: Dwarf galaxies retain $48\pm11\%$ of baryons within their halos; 5-10% of metals remain in warm and cool CGM phases.

Quick takeaway: Metal losses increase in lower-mass dwarfs, yet total CGM metal retention weakly correlates with galaxy mass.