The physical properties and impact of AGN outflows from high to low redshift

TL;DR

This paper reviews the challenges in measuring AGN outflow properties across redshifts and presents new high-resolution observations from the MAGNUM survey that improve understanding of their impact on galaxy evolution.

Contribution

It introduces high-resolution VLT/MUSE observations of nearby AGN, providing more accurate measurements of ionised gas outflows and their properties.

Findings

High spatial resolution enables precise outflow measurements.

AGN outflows can significantly influence host galaxy evolution.

The survey offers new insights into outflow kinematics and physical conditions.

Abstract

Feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) on their host galaxies, in the form of gas outflows capable of quenching star formation, is considered a major player in galaxy evolution. However, clear observational evidence of such major impact is still missing; uncertainties in measuring outflow properties might be partly responsible because of their critical role in comparisons with models and in constraining the impact of outflows on galaxies. Here we briefly review the challenges in measuring outflow physical properties and present an overview of outflow studies from high to low redshift. Finally, we present highlights from our MAGNUM survey of nearby AGN with VLT/MUSE, where the high intrinsic spatial resolution (down to $\sim$10 pc) allows us to accurately measure the physical and kinematic properties of ionised gas outflows.