We present the results of axisymmetric time-dependent hydrodynamic calculations of line-driven winds from accretion disks in active galactic nuclei (AGN). We assume the disk is flat, Keplerian, geometrically thin, and optically thick, radiating according to the α-disk prescription. The central engine of the AGN is a source of both ionizing X-rays and wind-driving ultraviolet (UV) photons. To calculate the radiation force, we take into account radiation from the disk and the central engine. The gas temperature and ionization state in the wind are calculated self-consistently from the photoionization and heating rate of the central engine.We find that a disk accreting onto a 10 8 M ⊙ black hole at the rate of 1.8 M ⊙ yr −1 can launch a wind at ∼ 10 16 cm from the central engine. The X-rays from the central object are significantly attenuated by the disk atmosphere so they cannot prevent the local disk radiation from pushing matter away from the disk. However in the supersonic portion of the flow high above the disk, the X-rays can overionize the gas and decrease the wind terminal velocity. For a reasonable X-ray opacity, e.g., κ X = 40 g −1 cm 2 , the disk wind can be accelerated by the central UV radiation to velocities of up to 15000 km s −1 at a distance of ∼ 10 17 cm from the central engine. The covering factor of the disk wind is ∼ 0.2. The wind is unsteady and consists of an opaque, slow vertical flow near the disk that is bounded on the polar side by a high-velocity stream. A typical column density through the fast stream is a few 10 23 cm −2 so the stream is optically thin to the UV radiation. This low column density is precisely why gas can be accelerated to high velocities. The fast stream contributes nearly 100% to the total wind mass loss rate of 0.5 M ⊙ yr −1 .
We explore consequences of a radiation driven disk wind model for mass outflows from active galactic nuclei (AGN). We performed axisymmetric timedependent hydrodynamic calculations using the same computational technique as Proga, Stone and Kallman (2000). We test the robustness of radiation launching and acceleration of the wind for relatively unfavorable conditions. In particular, we take into account the central engine radiation as a source of ionizing photons but neglect its contribution to the radiation force. Additionally, we account for the attenuation of the X-ray radiation by computing the X-ray optical depth in the radial direction assuming that only electron scattering contributes to the opacity. Our new simulations confirm the main result from our previous work: the disk atmosphere can 'shield' itself from external X-rays so that the local disk radiation can launch gas off the disk photosphere. We also find that the local disk force suffices to accelerate the disk wind to high velocities in the radial direction. This is true provided the wind does not change significantly the geometry of the disk radiation by continuum scattering and absorption processes; we discuss plausibility of this requirement. Synthetic profiles of a typical resonance ultraviolet line predicted by our models are consistent with observations of broad absorption line (BAL) QSOs.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.