Ionized outflows in luminous type 2 AGNs at z < 0.6: no evidence for significant impact on the host galaxies

Villar-Martín, M.; Arribas, S.; Emonts, B.; Humphrey, A.; Tadhunter, C.; Bessiere, P.; Cabrera Lavers, A.; Ramos Almeida, C.
Bibliographical reference

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 460, Issue 1, p.130-162

Advertised on:
7
2016
Number of authors
8
IAC number of authors
2
Citations
64
Refereed citations
61
Description
We investigate the presence of extended ionized outflows in 18 luminous type 2 AGNs (11 quasars and 7 high-luminosity Seyfert 2s) at 0.3 < z < 0.6 based on VLT-FORS2 spectroscopy. We infer typical lower limits on the radial sizes of the outflows Ro ≳ several × 100 pc and upper limits Ro ≲ 1-2 kpc. Our results are inconsistent with related studies which suggest that large scale (Ro ˜ several-15 kpc) are ubiquitous in QSO2. We study the possible causes of discrepancy and propose that seeing smearing is the cause of the large inferred sizes. The implications in our understanding of the feedback phenomenon are important since the mass Mo (through the density), mass injection dot{M}_o and energy injection dot{E}_o rates of the outflows become highly uncertain. One conclusion seems unavoidable: Mo, dot{M}_o and dot{E}_o are modest or low compared with previous estimations. We obtain typically Mo ≲ (0.4-22) × 106 M⊙ (median 1.1 × 106 M⊙) assuming n = 1000 cm-3. These are ˜102-104 times lower than values reported in the literature. Even under the most favourable assumptions, we obtain dot{M}_o≲ 10 M⊙ yr-1 in general, 100-1000 times lower than claimed in related studies. Although the uncertainties are large, it is probable that these are lower than typical star-forming rates. In conclusion, no evidence is found supporting that typical outflows can affect the interstellar medium of the host galaxies across spatial scales ≳ 1-2 kpc.