How Massive Are BALQSO Winds?

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dc.creatorHamann, F.
dc.creatorSabra, B.
dc.creatorJunkkarinen, V.
dc.creatorCohen, R.
dc.creatorShields, G.
dc.date2003-04-30
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T02:08:22Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T02:08:22Z
dc.descriptionWe are involved in a program to derive properties of broad absorption line (BAL) winds in quasars using combined UV and X-ray observations. A major obstacle is large uncertainties in the derived BAL column densities because of partial coverage of the background light source. In this preliminary report, we circumnavigate those uncertainties by making a simple assumption -- that the relative metal abundances are roughly solar. In this case, the PV 1118,1128 multiplet should have at least 500 times lower optical depth than CIV 1549,1551. Nonetheless, a PV BAL is present in at least half of the well-measured BALQSOs we studied. We conclude that the strong lines of abundant species like CIV are typically very optically thick. The total BAL column densities are N_H > 10^22 cm^-2 (for solar overall metallicity), and they might be comparable to the X-ray absorbers, of order 10^23 cm^-2, if the BAL gas is sufficiently ionized. If the column densities in outflowing BAL gas are, in fact, as large as the X-ray absorbers, it would present a serious challenge to models of radiatively-driven BAL winds.
dc.description4-page proceedings for the workshop, "X-Ray Spectroscopy of AGN with Chandra and XMM," Garching, Germany, December 2001
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0304564
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0304564
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/6018
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleHow Massive Are BALQSO Winds?
dc.typetext

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