Molecular gas excitation and outflow properties of obscured quasars at z$\sim$0.1

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution ALMA observations to analyze molecular gas excitation and outflows in obscured quasars at z~0.1, revealing how AGN winds and jets influence the cold gas reservoirs and their kinematics.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the impact of AGN-driven jets and winds on molecular gas excitation and outflows in type-2 quasars, highlighting the role of jets even in radio-quiet galaxies.

Findings

Molecular outflows are co-spatial with regions of enhanced gas excitation.

Mass outflow rates are lower than expected from AGN luminosities.

Jet and wind coupling efficiencies suggest jets significantly disturb the molecular gas.

Abstract

To investigate the impact of winds and low-to-moderate power jets on the cold molecular gas reservoirs of AGN, we present high angular resolution ALMA CO(2-1) and CO(3-2) observations of a sample of six type-2 quasars (QSO2s) at z$\sim$0.1 from the Quasar Feedback (QSOFEED) sample. Spatially resolved molecular line ratio maps, defined as $R_{32}=L'_{CO(3-2)}/L'_{CO(2-1)}$, and kinematic modelling were used to constrain changes in gas excitation and to identify gas outflows, respectively. We find that the molecular outflows are co-spatial with regions with $R_{32}$>1, indicating enhanced temperature relative to the discs and the presence of optically thin gas in the outflows. We find mass outflow rates of 5$<\dot{M}_{out}<$150$M_\odot$/yr, much lower than those expected from their AGN luminosities of $10^{45.5-46}$erg/s. The outflow kinetic energies might be driven by the combined action of jets and winds/radiation pressure, with radiative coupling efficiencies ($\epsilon_{AGN}=\dot{E}_{out}/L_{bol}$) ranging from $10^{-6}<\epsilon_{AGN}<10^{-4}$ and jet coupling efficiencies ($\epsilon_{jet}=\dot{E}_{out}/P_{jet}$) from $10^{-3}<\epsilon_{AGN}<10^{-2}$. A linear regression including the six QSO2s follows the locus of $\epsilon_{jet}\sim$0.1\%. Our results provide evidence that AGN-driven jets/winds disturb the molecular gas kinematics and excitation within the central kpc of the galaxies. The coupling between compact jets and the ISM might be relevant to AGN feedback, even in the case of radio-quiet galaxies, which are more representative of the AGN population. Finally, we find that the warm and cold molecular gas phases seem to be tracing the same outflow, with the main distinction between them being the mass they carry, while the warm ionized outflows do not seem to be another face of the same outflow, as they show different orientation, velocity, and radius.