Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2003-08-17
Astrophys.J.596:L43-L46,2003
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
4 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in ApJL
Scientific paper
10.1086/379031
We show that by analyzing the spectra of lensed broad absorption line quasars (BALQSOs), it is possible to reveal key properties of the outflowing gas in the inner regions of these objects. This results from the fact that each image of the quasar corresponds to a different line of sight through the outflow. This combined with dynamical estimates for the location of the flow, adds new information concerning the lateral, non line of sight structure of the absorbing gas. Here we consider a sample of lensed BALQSOs and note that the similarity of BAL profiles of different images of the same quasar implies that the flow is relatively isotropic on small scales. We show that its geometry is inconsistent with the ballistically accelerated spherical cloud model, and that wind models provide a better description of the flow structure. Furthermore, observations seem to disagree with naive interpretations of recent time-dependent wind simulations. This may hint on several important physical processes that govern the structure and dynamics of such flows. Future prospects for the study of quasar outflows with the effect of strong gravitational lensing are discussed.
No associations
LandOfFree
Strong Gravitational Lensing and the Structure of Quasar Outflows does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Strong Gravitational Lensing and the Structure of Quasar Outflows, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Strong Gravitational Lensing and the Structure of Quasar Outflows will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-503796