High Velocity Outflows in Quasars

Details High Velocity Outflows in Quasars High Velocity Outflows in Quasars

Feb 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008noao.prop..362r&link_type=abstract

NOAO Proposal ID #2008A-0362

Physics

Scientific paper

High velocity (HV) outflows are an important but poorly understood aspect of quasar/SMBH evolution. Outflows during the luminous accretion phase might play a critical role in ``unveiling" young dusty AGN and regulating star formation in the host galaxies. They might even be essential to carry angular momentum away from the accretion disk. Most quasar studies have focussed on the broad absorption lines (BALs). We are involved in a program to study a nearly unexplored realm of quasar outflow parameter space: HV winds with v>10,000 km/s up to v~ 0.2c but small velocity dispersions (narrow absorption lines), such that (Delta) v/v ≪ 1. Narrow-line HV flows merit specific attention because they complement the BAL work and pose unique challenges for models of the wind acceleration, mass loss rates, launch radii, geometry, etc. They might also be common, e.g., accounting for a significant fraction of the narrow absorption lines previously attributed to unrelated (intervening) gas or galaxies. We have selected the brightest quasars at z>2 with candidate narrow HV outflow lines (CIV 1548 A) in existing SDSS spectra. We now request 2.1m GoldCam observations to monitor and expand the sample of confirmed narrow-line HV outflows. The main goals are to i) characterize, for the first time, the variability in a sample of absorbers spanning a wide range of velocities and FWHMs, including some marginal BALs, ii) identify/confirm more of the true outflow systems, e.g., among the more ambiguous narrow lines, and iii) test the wind models and derive better constraints on basic outflow properties, such as the kinematics, locations, and physical conditions.

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