1. High Velocity Outflows in Quasars
Paola Rodriguez Hidalgo
Advisor: Fred Hamann
University of Florida
Collaborators: Daniel Nestor,
Joseph Shields

2. Classification of Absorption Lines
Based on similar redshift to the quasar:
Associated
Non-associated
Based on the absorber is ejected from the quasar:
Intrinsic
Non-intrinsic
Based on the width of the line:
BAL
NAL
miniBAL
“Some” and not much, because Wise et al at least ~21%, Barlow et al ~30%
miniBALs: technically, we call a “miniBAL” CIV systems with FWHMs or ~ 550 km/s, since it is at that FWHM when the doublet is smoothed out. The broader the system is, the most likely is it formed in an outflow, but since some AALs are known to be intrinsic, systems with all FWHM could be intrinsic.

3. Classification of Absorption Lines
Based on similar redshift to the quasar:
Associated
Non-associated
Based on the absorber is ejected from the quasar:
Intrinsic
Non-intrinsic
Based on the width of the line:
BAL: form in winds
NAL: origin? Most AALs are intrinsic (see Leah Simon, Daniel Nestor and Rajib Ganguly posters), how many at High Velocity (HV) are intrinsic? (36% ? - Richards et al. 1999, 2001)
miniBAL: barely studied: how common are they?, how often do they appear at HV?
High Velocity
Outflows
BAL and NAL are and have been studied in the past, but miniBALs haven’t had much attention yet.
“Some” and not much, because Wise et al at least ~21%, Barlow et al ~30%
miniBALs: technically, we call a “miniBAL” CIV systems with FWHMs or ~ 550 km/s, since it is at that FWHM when the doublet is smoothed out. The broader the system is, the most likely is it formed in an outflow, but since some AALs are known to be intrinsic, systems with all FWHM could be intrinsic.

4. Example of a High Velocity Outflow
Ly+NV PG
v ~ 51,000 km/s
SiIV+OIV
CIV
SiIV is less abundant than CIV
Add \FWHM. Show together with variability plot and some number results.
Don’t spend too much time: it’s OLD stuff
CIV!

5. Goals
Account for types of outflows to input information into physical/geometrical models.
Understand miniBAL-BAL relationship: distinct or same thing with different sightline?
Confirm intrinsic nature of large number of systems for follow-up and, hopefully, get information about location, densities, … and to explain wind structure and dynamics.

6. Searching for High Velocity Outflows: the Sample
SDSS Quasar spectra:
R ~ 150 km/s
Spectral coverage A;
to see CIV 1548,1550 absorbers: zem > 1.8
to see velocities up to 0.2c: zem > 2.1
Choose the n(t) spectra with best S/N
Look for every blue-shifted CIV absorber
- zabs, v, FWHM, REW, BI, AI
One sentence explanation BI!
Mention DBN poster

7. Searching for High Velocity Outflows: the Sample
SDSS Quasar spectra:
R ~ 150 km/s
Spectral coverage A;
to see CIV 1548,1550 absorbers: zem > 1.8
to see velocities up to 0.2c: zem > 2.1
Choose the 2,200 spectra with best S/N -> 1,846
Look for every blue-shifted CIV absorber
- zabs, v, FWHM, REW, BI, AI
absorption systems measured
Mention DBN poster.
One sentence explanation BI!

8. Searching for High Velocity Outflows: the results

9. CIV absorbers found
BAL
miniBAL
NAL
Restframe wavelength (A)

10. CIV absorbers found Number of miniBALs = 423
Number of quasars with miniBALs = 284
Number of quasars with miniBALs at v > 10,000 km s-1 = 175
Number of quasars with miniBALs at v > 25,000 km s-1 = 51

11. CIV absorbers found
14%
2.5%

12. Some questions:
What sorts of structures and what lines of sight through the outflow produce miniBALs?
How often should we see miniBALs vs BALs and NALs if we view these outflows along random sightlines?
How fast do miniBALs evolve or cross the line of sight? Should we see acceleration /decceleration?
Should HV miniBALs come with more/less Xray abs than BALs?

13. Variability study Ly+NV PG 0935+417 SiIV+OIV CIV CIV! v ~ 51,000 km/s
SiIV is less abundant than CIV
Add \FWHM. Show together with variability plot and some number results.
Don’t spend too much time: it’s OLD stuff
CIV!

14. Variability study HV CIV Flux Observed wavelength (A)
Include another slide with the variability derivations… (ne and distance source-absorber)
HV CIV
Observed wavelength (A)

15. Searching for Variability: Data
KPNO 2.1m : R~200 km s-1, ~ A
MDM 2.4m : R~230 km s-1 , ~ A (collaboration with Joe Shields)
Lick 3.0m : (collaboration with Jason Prochaska)
Literature: LBQS survey (Hewitt et al. 1994), etc…

16. Variability study: some results

17. Variability study: some results
18 well-measured quasars in 3 observing campaigns
5 quasars show clear variability in miniBALs (5/18~30%):
If changes are due to ionization:
tobs= yrs = high (?) upper limit for tvar
ne= cm-3 : lower limit
Rmax= pc : upper limit
So far, no variability in NALs
Most systems vary only in strength, but some show shift in velocities

18. Current & Future work
Continue Variability study ->looking for more intrinsic systems and monitoring campaign to study flow properties of confirmed ones
High resolution observations of best/interesting candidates to obtain more accurate properties
Compare to absorption in Xray data to explore UV-Xray correlations and the relationship miniBALs-BALs
Input results in current theoretical models to help constrain parameters

19. Summary
We have searched the SDSS database looking for CIV absorbers to compile, for the first time, a catalog of CIV absorption lines in high-redshift quasars: 2,200 quasars, 5320 CIV absorption systems found
We did and continue to follow up some of these systems with new observations (KPNO 2.1m, MDM 2.4m, Lick 3.0m) to confirm intrinsic nature based on variability and characterize it.
We will follow up with Xray observations to study the relationship UV-Xray absorbers and miniBALs-BALs.
We will input the results into theoretical models to help constrain model parameters.
Xiexie

20. Questionable/Interesting HV candidates