The physics and the structure of the quasar-driven outflow in Mrk 231

TL;DR

This study uses IRAM PdBI observations to analyze the physical properties and structure of a massive, kpc-scale molecular outflow in the nearby quasar Mrk 231, revealing insights into outflow excitation and dynamics.

Contribution

It provides detailed spatially resolved measurements of the molecular outflow in Mrk 231, challenging shock-based models and highlighting the relationship between outflow size and gas density.

Findings

The outflow extends on the kpc scale with velocities up to 800 km/s.

The blue wing is less excited than the red wing, inconsistent with shock models.

Dense clouds have shorter lifetimes and are more efficiently accelerated than diffuse gas.

Abstract

Massive AGN-driven outflows are invoked by AGN-galaxy co-evolutionary models to suppress both star formation and black hole accretion. Massive molecular outflows have recently been revealed in some AGN hosts. However, the physical properties and structure of these AGN-driven molecular outflows are still poorly constrained. Here we present new IRAM PdBI observations of Mrk231, the closest quasar known, targeting both the CO(1-0) and CO(2-1) transitions. We detect broad wings in both transitions, tracing a massive molecular outflow with velocities up to 800 km/s. The wings are spatially resolved at high significance level (5-11 sigma), indicating that the molecular outflow extends on the kpc scale. The CO(2-1)/CO(1-0) ratio of the red broad wings is consistent with the ratio observed in the narrow core, while the blue broad wing is less excited than the core. The latter result suggests that quasar driven outflow models invoking shocks (which would predict higher gas excitation) are not appropriate to describe the bulk of the outflow in Mrk231. However, we note that within the central 700 pc the CO(2-1)/CO(1-0) ratio of the red wing is slightly, but significantly, higher than in the line core, suggesting that shocks may play a role in the central region. We also find that the average size of the outflow anticorrelates with the critical density of the transition used as a wind tracer. This indicates that, although diffuse and dense clumps coexist in the outflowing gas, dense outflowing clouds have shorter lifetime and that they evaporate into the diffuse component along the outflow or, more simply, that diffuse clouds are more efficiently accelerated to larger distances by radiation pressure.