Coordinated time variability of multi-phase ultra-fast outflows in J132216.25+052446.3

TL;DR

This study analyzes the long-term variability of broad absorption lines in quasar J132216.25+052446.3 over 19 years, revealing ionization-driven changes and the emergence of a new outflow component.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed multi-epoch analysis of ultra-fast outflow variability in this quasar, linking absorption changes to ionization and outflow dynamics.

Findings

Correlated variability of absorption lines with continuum flux.

Emergence of a new broad absorption component during dimming.

Ionization changes primarily drive the observed variability.

Abstract

We present a time variability analysis of broad absorption lines (BAL; spread over the velocity range of 5800-29000 km/s) seen in the spectrum of J132216.25+052446.3 (z(em)= 2.04806) at ten different epochs spanning over 19 years. The strongest absorption component (BAL-A; spread over 5800-9900 km/s) is made up of several narrow components having velocity separations close to C IV doublet splitting. The C IV, N V, and Si IV absorption from BAL-A show correlated optical depth variability without significant changes in the velocity structure. A very broad and shallow absorption (BAL-C; spread over the velocity range 15000-29000 km/s) emerged during our monitoring period coinciding with a dimming episode of J1322+0524. All the identified absorption lines show correlated variability with the equivalent widths increasing with decreasing flux. This together with the C IV emission-line variability is consistent with ionization being the main driver of the correlated variability. The observed UV-continuum variations are weaker than what is required by the photo-ionization models. This together with a scatter in the C iv equivalent width at a given continuum flux can be understood if variations of the C IV ionizing photons are much larger than that of the UV continuum, the variations in the ionizing photon and UV fluxes are not correlated and/or the covering factor of the flow varies continuously. We suggest BAL-A is produced by a stable clumpy outflow located beyond the broad emission line region and BAL-C is a newly formed wind component located near the accretion disk and both respond to changes in the ionizing continuum.