Modelling the variable broad-band optical/UV/X-ray spectrum of PG1211+143: Implications for the ionized outflow

TL;DR

This study models the broad-band optical/UV/X-ray spectrum of quasar PG1211+143, revealing details about its ionized outflow, its properties, and implications for galaxy evolution, based on detailed spectral analysis of Swift data.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive spectral model of PG1211+143, characterizing the ionized outflow's properties and its impact on the host galaxy, which is a novel detailed analysis of this quasar.

Findings

The warm absorber covers 90% of the source.

The outflow velocity is less than 2.3×10^4 km/s.

The outflow's kinetic power is about 1.4×10^43 erg/s.

Abstract

We present the results from a detailed analysis of the 2007 Swift monitoring campaign of the quasar PG1211+143. We constructed broad-band, optical/UV/X-ray spectral energy distributions over three X-ray flux intervals. We fitted them with a model which accounts for the disc and the X-ray coronal emission and the warm absorber (well established in this source). The three flux spectra are well fitted by the model we considered. The disc inner temperature remains constant at ~2 eV, while X-rays are variable both in spectral slope and normalization. The absorber covers almost 90% of the central source. It is outflowing with a velocity less than 2.3*10^4 km/s (3sigma upper limit), and has a column density of ~10^23.2. Its ionization parameter varies by a factor of 1.6, and it is in photo-ionizing equilibrium with the ionizing flux. It is located at a distance of less than 0.35 pc from the central source and its relative thickness, DR/R is less than 0.1. The absorber' s ionization parameter variations can explain the larger than average amplitude of the X-ray variations. The absence of optical/UV variations (consistent with the high black hole mass estimate) argues against the presence of inward propagating disc fluctuations and strong X-ray illumination of the disc (in agreement with the low ratio of X-ray over the bolometric luminosity of ~20-35). We estimate an upper limit for the mass outflow of ~5 solar masses per year (~2.3 times the Eddington mass accretion rate). If the outflow rate is indeed that high, then it must be a short-lived episode in the quasar's life time. Finally, we estimate an upper limit for the kinetic power of the outflow of ~1.4*10^43 ergs/s. This outflow cannot deploy significant mechanical energy to the surrounding ISM of the quasar's host galaxy, but is sufficient to heat the ISM to 10^7 K and to produce a fast decline to the star formation rate of the galaxy.