An axisymmetric hydrodynamical model for the torus wind in AGN. II: X-ray excited funnel flow

TL;DR

This paper presents 3D hydrodynamical models of AGN torus outflows heated by X-rays, predicting velocity fields, mass fluxes, and absorption spectra that match observations of Seyfert 1 warm absorbers.

Contribution

It introduces a set of axisymmetric hydrodynamical simulations of AGN torus winds including X-ray effects, providing detailed predictions of outflow properties and spectra.

Findings

Models produce outflows with velocities and mass fluxes similar to observed Seyfert 1 warm absorbers.

Simulations generate rich absorption line spectra consistent with observations.

Outflow characteristics depend on torus properties and X-ray flux levels.

Abstract

We have calculated a series of models of outflows from the obscuring torus in active galactic nuclei (AGN). Our modeling assumes that the inner face of a rotationally supported torus is illuminated and heated by the intense X-rays from the inner accretion disk and black hole. As a result of such heating a strong biconical outflow is observed in our simulations. We calculate 3-dimensional hydrodynamical models, assuming axial symmetry, and including the effects of X-ray heating, ionization, and radiation pressure. We discuss the behavior of a large family of these models, their velocity fields, mass fluxes and temperature, as functions of the torus properties and X-ray flux. Synthetic warm absorber spectra are calculated, assuming pure absorption, for sample models at various inclination angles and observing times. We show that these models have mass fluxes and flow speeds which are comparable to those which have been inferred from observations of Seyfert 1 warm absorbers, and that they can produce rich absorption line spectra.