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Updated Calculations of the Spectral-Line Radiation Force & Mass-Loss Rates for AGN Outflows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 October 2024

Aylecia S. Lattimer Open the ORCID record for Aylecia S. Lattimer [Opens in a new window]  and
Steven Cranmer Open the ORCID record for Steven Cranmer [Opens in a new window]
Aylecia S. Lattimer*
Affiliation:
Department of Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Steven Cranmer*
Affiliation:
Department of Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
*
email: aylecia.lattimer@colorado.edu
email: Steven.Cranmer@lasp.colorado.edu
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Abstract

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Photon-driven flows have been studied for almost a century, and a quantitative description of the radiative forces on atoms and ions is important for understanding a wide variety of systems, including active galactic nuclei (AGN). The colloquially-termed “radiation pressure” of line-driven winds plays an important role in driving outflows in these environments. Quantifying the associated forces is crucial to understanding how these flows enable interactive mechanisms within these environments, such as AGN feedback. Here we provide new calculations of the dimensionless line strength parameter due to radiation driving. For representative AGN, we calculate the photoionization balance at each step along the line of sight (LOS) to the proposed wind-launching region above the accretion disk. We then use a recently compiled database of approximately 5.6 million spectral lines to compute the strength of the line-driving force on the gas and the mass-loss rates resulting from these outflows. We also introduce a “shielding factor’’ that increases the magnitude of the accretion disk column density prior to the launch radius. This shielding factor simulates a proposed inner “failed wind” region that is thought to shield the outflowing gas from becoming over-ionized by the central source. We also revisit and formalize the role of the commonly-used ionization parameter in setting the properties of the accelerating gas.

Keywords

AGN outflowsradiative processesatomic physics
Type
Contributed Paper
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 19 , Symposium S378: Black Hole Winds at All Scales , December 2023 , pp. 108 - 111
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Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of International Astronomical Union

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