DESI survey of S IV absorption outflows in quasars: Contribution to AGN feedback and comparison with [O III] emission outflows

Abstract

Quasar outflows can play a crucial role in the evolution of their host galaxies through various feedback processes. This effect is expected to be particularly important when the universe was only 2-3 billion years old, during the period known as cosmic noon. By utilizing observations from the Dark Energy Spectroscopy Instrument (DESI), we conduct a survey of high-ionization quasar outflows at cosmic noon, with the aim of doubling the current sample of such outflows with distance and energetics determination. We also aim to compare these properties to those derived from spatially resolved outflows in similar quasars probed through Integral Field Spectroscopy (IFS). In a sample of 130 quasars we detect signatures of high-ionization outflows in the form of a S IV trough in eight objects. We characterize the physical conditions of these outflows by determining their total hydrogen column density ($N_H$), ionization parameter ($U_H$), and electron number density ($n_e$). The detected outflows show complex kinematic structures with a wide range in blueshifted velocities (100$-$4600 km s${}^{-1}$). We locate five out of the eight outflows at distances between 240$-$5500 pc away from the central source. From the combined sample of 15 high-ionization S IV outflows at cosmic noon, we find a high fraction (up to 46 %) of them to be powerful enough to contribute significantly to multi-stage AGN feedback processes. Their mass outflow rates and kinetic luminosities are also found to be consistent with spatially resolved outflows in a luminosity and redshift matched sample of quasars. Comparison with previous spectra reveals interesting variations in some objects, with two cases of emerging high-velocity broad absorption line features with velocities of $-$8000 and $-$39,000 km s${}^{-1}$. An impressive case of four line-locked Si IV outflow systems is also revealed in one of the objects.

9 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for Publication in A&A

References in corpus (26)

• Cosmic Star Formation History
• Kiloparsec-scale outflows are prevalent among luminous AGN: outflows and feedback in the context of the overall AGN population
• Overview of the Instrumentation for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument
• The Early Data Release of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument
• Blowin' in the wind: both `negative' and `positive' feedback in an obscured high-z Quasar
• CHIANTI - an atomic database for emission lines - Paper XV: Version 9, improvements for the X-ray satellite lines
• The Intrinsic Fraction of Broad Absorption Line Quasars
• X-shooter reveals powerful outflows in z~1.5 X-ray selected obscured quasi stellar objects
• SUPER-II: Spatially resolved ionized gas kinematics and scaling relations in z~2 AGN host galaxies
• Bubbles and outflows: the novel JWST/NIRSpec view of the z=1.59 obscured quasar XID2028
• First results from the JWST Early Release Science Program Q3D: Turbulent times in the life of a $z\sim 3$ extremely red quasar revealed by NIRSpec IFU
• ALMA Observations of a Candidate Molecular Outflow in an Obscured Quasar
• Supermassive Black Hole Winds in X-rays -- SUBWAYS. I. Ultra-fast outflows in QSOs beyond the local Universe
• AGN feedback on molecular gas reservoirs in quasars at $z\sim$2.4
• HST/COS Observations of Quasar Outflows in the 500-1050 Å Rest Frame: I. The Most Energetic Outflows in the Universe and Other Discoveries
• The Physical Properties of Low Redshift FeLoBAL Quasars. I. Spectral Synthesis Analysis of the BAL Outflows using $SimBAL$
• A compact, metal-rich, kpc-scale outflow in FBQS J0209-0438: Detailed diagnostics from HST/COS extreme UV observations
• Survey of Extremely High-velocity Outflows in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasars
• Evidence that Emission and Absorption Outflows in Quasars Are Related
• HST/COS Observations of Quasar Outflows in the 500-1050 Å Rest Frame: V. Richness of Physical Diagnostics and Ionization Potential-dependent Velocity Shift in PKS J0352-0711
• VLT/UVES Observation of the SDSS J2357-0048 Outflow
• High Mass Flow Rate in a BAL Outflow of Quasar SDSS J1130+0411
• On The Fine Tuning and Physical Origin of Line-Locked Absorption Systems in Active Galaxies
• Physical characterization of the FeLoBAL outflow in SDSS J0932+0840: Analysis of VLT/UVES observations
• BAL Outflow in Quasar B0254-3327B: Analysis and Comparison with Other Extreme UV Outflows
• Low-ionization iron-rich Broad Absorption-Line Quasar SDSS J1652+2650: Physical conditions in the ejected gas from excited FeII and metastable HeI