NuSTAR view of the black hole wind in the galaxy merger IRAS F11119$+$3257

TL;DR

This study uses NuSTAR X-ray observations to confirm the presence of a powerful ultra-fast outflow in galaxy IRAS F11119+3257, supporting models of AGN feedback influencing galaxy evolution.

Contribution

It provides independent verification of a previously detected ultra-fast outflow using higher sensitivity NuSTAR data, confirming its properties and connection to galaxy-scale winds.

Findings

Detection of a highly ionized Fe K UFO with specific parameters.

Consistency of UFO properties between Suzaku and NuSTAR observations.

Evidence supporting the link between nuclear winds and galaxy-scale outflows.

Abstract

Galactic winds driven by active galactic nuclei (AGN) have been invoked to play a fundamental role in the co-evolution between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. Finding observational evidence of such feedback mechanisms is of crucial importance and it requires a multi-wavelength approach in order to compare winds at different scales and phases. In Tombesi et al. (2015) we reported the detection of a powerful ultra-fast outflow (UFO) in the Suzaku X-ray spectrum of the ultra-luminous infrared galaxy IRAS F11119$+$3257. The comparison with a galaxy-scale OH molecular outflow observed with Herschel in the same source supported the energy-conserving scenario for AGN feedback. The main objective of this work is to perform an independent check of the Suzaku results using the higher sensitivity and wider X-ray continuum coverage of NuSTAR. We clearly detect a highly ionized Fe K UFO in the 100ks NuSTAR spectrum with parameters $N_H = (3.2\pm1.5)\times 10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$, log$\xi$$=$$4.0^{+1.2}_{-0.3}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm, and $v_{\text{out}} = 0.253^{+0.061}_{-0.118}$ c. The launching radius is likely at a distance of $r \ge 16$ $r_s$ from the black hole. The mass outflow rate is in the range $\dot{M}_{out}$$\simeq$0.5-2 $M_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$. The UFO momentum rate and power are $\dot{P}_{out} \simeq$0.5-2 $L_{AGN}/c$ and $\dot{E}_{out} \simeq$7-27\% $L_{AGN}$, respectively. The UFO parameters are consistent between the 2013 Suzaku and the 2015 NuSTAR observations. Only the column density is found to be variable, possibly suggesting a clumpy wind. The comparison with the energetics of molecular outflows estimated in infrared and millimeter wavelengths support a connection between the nuclear and galaxy-scale winds in luminous AGN.