Ionized outflows in luminous type 2 AGNs at z<0.6: no evidence for significant impact on the host galaxies

TL;DR

This study examines ionized outflows in luminous type 2 AGNs at intermediate redshifts, finding smaller, more localized outflows than previously thought, which suggests limited impact on host galaxy interstellar media.

Contribution

The paper provides new measurements indicating smaller outflow sizes in luminous type 2 AGNs, challenging prior assumptions of large-scale outflows in these objects.

Findings

Outflows are typically confined within a few hundred parsecs to 1-2 kpc.

Large-scale outflows of several-15 kpc are unlikely due to seeing effects.

Outflows likely have a modest or low impact on host galaxy interstellar medium.

Abstract

We investigate the presence of extended ionized outflows in 18 luminous type 2 AGNs (11 quasars and 7 high luminosity Seyfert 2s) at 0.3<z<0.6 based on VLT-FORS2 spectroscopy. We infer typical lower limits on the radial sizes of the outflows R>=severalx100 pc and upper limits R<1-2 kpc. Our results are inconsistent with related studies which suggest that large scale R~several-15 kpc are ubiquitous in QSO2. We study the possible causes of discrepancy and propose that seeing smearing is the cause of the large inferred sizes. The implications in our understanding of the feedback phenomenon are important since the mass M (through the density), mass injection M(dot) and energy injection rates E(dot) of the outflows become highly uncertain. One conclusion seems unavoidable: M, M(dot), E(dot) are modest or low compared with previous estimations. No evidence is found supporting that typical outflows can affect the interstellar medium of the host galaxies accross spatial scales >~1-2 kpc.