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Main Authors: Chen, Chen, He, Zhicheng, Yi, Weimin, Ji, Tuo, Lau, Marie Wingyee, Ma, Bo
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.06734
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author Chen, Chen
He, Zhicheng
Yi, Weimin
Ji, Tuo
Lau, Marie Wingyee
Ma, Bo
author_facet Chen, Chen
He, Zhicheng
Yi, Weimin
Ji, Tuo
Lau, Marie Wingyee
Ma, Bo
contents Quasar outflows often consist of two clouds with velocity separations matching the doublet spacings of common UV resonance transitions, a phenomenon known as line-locking, which is commonly observed in quasar spectra. Multiple clouds can be locked together through multi-ion doublets, forming 'line-locking web'. In the second paper of the TOLL project, we present discovery of one of the largest 'line-locking web' known to date from the VLT/UVES spectra of QSO J151352+085555. We identify 12 associated narrow absorption line systems through the C IV, N V, Si IV, O VI, and multiple Lyman lines (Ly$α$ to Ly$ε$), and find 10 out of the 12 absorbers are line-locked together by comparing velocity separations between different absorption systems. By conducting photoionization modeling with CLOUDY, we measure the total hydrogen column densities, metallicities, and ionization parameters of these absorbers, which suggests the absorbers likely have sub-solar metallicities. A preliminary statistical analysis demonstrates the shadowed clouds tend to have similar ionization states comparing to the shadowing ones. Identification of one of the largest line-locking webs implies that radiative acceleration plays an important role in sorting out cloud velocities in quasar outflows, and highlights the need for more sophisticated theoretical models to explain its formation and evolution.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_06734
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Tracking Outflow using Line-Locking (TOLL). II. Large Line-Locking Web identified in Quasar J151352+085555
Chen, Chen
He, Zhicheng
Yi, Weimin
Ji, Tuo
Lau, Marie Wingyee
Ma, Bo
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Quasar outflows often consist of two clouds with velocity separations matching the doublet spacings of common UV resonance transitions, a phenomenon known as line-locking, which is commonly observed in quasar spectra. Multiple clouds can be locked together through multi-ion doublets, forming 'line-locking web'. In the second paper of the TOLL project, we present discovery of one of the largest 'line-locking web' known to date from the VLT/UVES spectra of QSO J151352+085555. We identify 12 associated narrow absorption line systems through the C IV, N V, Si IV, O VI, and multiple Lyman lines (Ly$α$ to Ly$ε$), and find 10 out of the 12 absorbers are line-locked together by comparing velocity separations between different absorption systems. By conducting photoionization modeling with CLOUDY, we measure the total hydrogen column densities, metallicities, and ionization parameters of these absorbers, which suggests the absorbers likely have sub-solar metallicities. A preliminary statistical analysis demonstrates the shadowed clouds tend to have similar ionization states comparing to the shadowing ones. Identification of one of the largest line-locking webs implies that radiative acceleration plays an important role in sorting out cloud velocities in quasar outflows, and highlights the need for more sophisticated theoretical models to explain its formation and evolution.
title Tracking Outflow using Line-Locking (TOLL). II. Large Line-Locking Web identified in Quasar J151352+085555
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.06734