The Physics of AGN Flows as

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The Physics of AGN Flows as Revealed by
Observations
Doron Chelouche Institute for Advanced Study,
Princeton

• Observations
• Modeling
• Testing
• Results
• Questions

Outline
Chandra Fellow
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Observations
BALQSOs 15-25 of QSOs 0 of
Seyferts Velocities of order 104 km/s Wide
troughs Suggestive of radiation
pressure acceleration
NALQSOs 30 of quasars 50 of
Seyferts Velocities of order 103 km/s Narrow
troughs
observations
Velocities of order 103km/s Observed in nearby
objects
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The X-ray Revolution
observations

• Many lines edges
• Large range of gas temperatures
• Direct view of the ionizing continuum
• Source variability

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Why do we care?
motivation
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How to estimate the flow parameters?

1. Fit a (Gaussian) absorption line
2. Estimate the column density, NH
3. Measure the velocity, v
5. .
6. .

BUT
modeling
Do photoionization models help?
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NOT MUCH Since the relevant physics is not
included
modeling
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Photoionization dynamical modeling
modeling
8
Do we really need that level of
sophistication? (the case of stellar winds)

• Asymmetric UV emission lines
• Symmetric X-ray lines

modeling
Owocki et al.
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One simple test
thermal
thermal
momentum
vs.
Radiativly driven
testing
Thermally driven
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(for the low ionization component)
Netzer et al. (2003)
thermal
testing
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Another simple test
collimated
testing
Temperature dependent velocity!
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NGC4151
NGC7469
NGC5548
NGC3783
testing
Suggests flow components are co-spatial
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A proposed model Multiphase thermal wind
NGC 3783
NGC 5548
MCG-6-30-15

• Photo-heating, radiative cooling, adiabatic
  cooling (NLTE)
• Spherical geometry
• Absorption and emission spectrum (escape
  probability)
• Radiation pressure force

results
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results
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Das et al. 2005
Adiabatic cooling problem?
results
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• What is the source of the outflow? Torus? Stars?
• Have we accounted for all heating processes?
• Is thermal instability necessary to observe
  outflows?
• Where is the dust?
• What is the source for quasar feedback?
• What happens in high-L quasars?
• What happens in LINERs?
• Is high-T gas prerequisite for high velocity
  outflows?
• What is the relation to UV flows?

questions