Dust-driven wind as a model of Broad Absorption Line quasars

TL;DR

This paper models broad absorption line quasars as objects observed along a dust-driven wind outflow, explaining the BAL phenomenon through orientation effects and comparing theoretical predictions with observational data.

Contribution

It applies a 2.5D dust-driven wind model to explain BAL quasars and links the phenomenon to specific quasar parameters and viewing angles, supported by observational data.

Findings

BAL phenomenon occurs mainly in quasars with black hole masses >10^8 solar masses.

The likelihood of BAL features increases with higher accretion rates and metallicities.

Model predictions align with observational data, supporting orientation-based interpretation.

Abstract

We test a scenario claiming that the broad absorption line (BAL) phenomenon in quasars (QSOs) is not a temporary stage of their life. In this scenario, we see the BAL effect only if the line of sight is within a spatially limited and collimated massive outflow cone covering only a fraction of sky from the point of view of the nucleus. The aim is to understand the theoretical mechanism behind the massive outflow in BAL QSOs which is important for modelling the impact of quasars onto the star formation rate in the host galaxy, and, subsequently, onto the galaxy evolution. We apply the specific theoretical model of dust-driven wind. The model has considerable predictive power. The 2.5D version of FRADO model of Czerny & Hryniewicz gives rise to the formation of fast funnel-shaped outflow from the disk for a certain range of black hole masses, Eddington ratios and metallicities. We now interpret BAL QSO as sources viewed along the outflowing stream and we calculate the probabilities of seeing the BAL phenomenon as functions of these global parameters, and we compare these probabilities to those seen in the observational data. We include considerations on the presence/absence of obscuring torus. Comparing our theoretical results with observational data for a sample consisting of two sub-populations of BAL and non-BAL QSOs we found that both in the model and in the data the BAL phenomenon mostly happens for sources with black hole masses larger than 10^{8} solar mass, the effect get stronger with accretion rate, and also high metallicities are more likely in QSOs showing BAL features if the presence of torus is taken into account. The consistency of the model with the data provides support for the interpretation of the BAL phenomenon as the result of the orientation of the source. It also supports the underlying theoretical model although more consistency checks should be done in the future.