Fast outflows in broad absorption line quasars and their connection with CSS/GPS sources

TL;DR

This study investigates the nature of fast outflows in broad absorption line quasars through extensive multi-wavelength observations, revealing diverse orientations and radio ages, and suggesting a link between outflows and early or restarting radio phases.

Contribution

It provides new observational evidence connecting BAL quasars with CSS/GPS sources and proposes that radiation pressure in early radio phases facilitates fast outflows.

Findings

About 70% of the sample are in GPS or CSS+GPS phase.

Lower dust abundance compared to normal quasars, indicating feedback.

BAL features are more common in objects with restarting or young radio activity.

Abstract

Broad absorption line quasars are among the objects presenting the fastest outflows. The launching mechanism itself is not completely understood. Models in which they could be launched from the accretion disk, and then curved and accelerated by the effect of the radiation pressure, have been presented. We conducted an extensive observational campaign, from radio to optical band, to collect information about their nature and test the models present in the literature, the main dichotomy being between a young scenario and an orientation one. We found a variety of possible orientations, morphologies, and radio ages, not converging to a particular explanation for the BAL phenomenon. From our latest observations in the m- and mm-band, we obtained an indication of a lower dust abundance with respect to normal quasars, thus suggesting a possible feedback process on the host galaxy. Also, in the low-frequency regime we confirmed the presence of CSS components, sometime in conjunction with a GPS one already detected at higher frequencies. Following this, about 70% of our sample turns out to be in a GPS or CSS+GPS phase. We conclude that fast outflows, responsible for the BAL features, can be more easily present among objects going through a restarting or just-started radio phase, where radiation pressure can substantially contribute to their acceleration.