New insights on the accretion disk-winds connection in radio-loud AGNs from Suzaku

TL;DR

This study analyzes Suzaku observations of radio-loud AGNs, discovering ultra-fast accretion disk winds in three sources and providing evidence for a connection between disk winds and AGN activity, with implications for feedback mechanisms.

Contribution

First direct evidence of an accretion disk-wind connection in an AGN, with detailed spectral analysis revealing ultra-fast outflows and their variability.

Findings

Ultra-fast outflows (~0.1c) detected in three AGNs.

Anti-correlated variability observed between emission lines and Fe K features.

Outflows have significant mass and mechanical power comparable to AGN luminosity.

Abstract

From the spectral analysis of long Suzaku observations of five radio-loud AGNs we have been able to discover the presence of ultra-fast outflows with velocities ~0.1c in three of them, namely 3C 111, 3C 120 and 3C 390.3. They are consistent with being accretion disk winds/outflows. We also performed a follow-up on 3C 111 to monitor its outflow on ~7days time-scales and detected an anti-correlated variability of a possible relativistic emission line with respect to blue-shifted Fe K features, following a flux increase. This provides the first direct evidence for an accretion disk-wind connection in an AGN. The mass outflow rate of these outflows can be comparable to the accretion rate and their mechanical power can correspond to a significant fraction of the bolometric luminosity and is comparable to their typical jet power. Therefore, they can possibly play a significant role in the expected feedback from AGNs and can give us further clues on the relation between the accretion disk and the formation of winds/jets.