Simulations of AGN Driven Galactic Outflow Morphology and Content

TL;DR

This study uses 3D relativistic hydrodynamical simulations to explore how AGN power, jet angle, and ISM clumpiness influence galactic outflow morphology and content, revealing different behaviors for low and high power AGNs.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how AGN power and jet orientation affect outflow morphology and content, especially highlighting the role of the ISM in low power AGNs.

Findings

Low power AGNs produce mostly hot, single-phase outflows.

Jet angle influences outflow mass by a factor of 2-3.

High power AGNs have outflows less affected by ISM structure.

Abstract

Using a series of 3D relativistic hydrodynamical simulations of active galactic nuclei (AGN) we investigate how AGN power, a clumpy ISM structure, and AGN jet angle with respect to the galactic disk affect the morphology and content of the resulting galactic outflow. For low power AGN across three orders of magnitude of AGN luminosities ($10^{41}-10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$) our simulations did not show significant changes to either the morphology or total mass of the outflow. Changing the angle of the AGN jet with respect to the galaxy did show small changes in the total outflow mass of a factor of 2-3. Jets perpendicular to the galactic disk were created hot single phase outflows, while jets close to parallel with the disk created the outflows were multi-phase with equal parts warm and hot, and significant cold gas. Overall The final morphology of low power AGN outflows depends primarily on how the jet impacts and interacts with large, dense clouds in the clumpy ISM. These clouds can disrupt, deflect, split, or suppress the jet preventing it from leaving the galactic disk as a coherent structure. But for simulations with AGN luminosities $> 10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$ the ISM played a minor role in determining the morphology of the outflow with an undisrupted jet leaving the disk. The final morphology of AGN outflows is different for low power AGNs vs. high power AGNs with the final morphology of low power AGN outflows dependent on the ISM structure within the first kpc surrounding the AGN.