1. The Hot and Energetic Universe: Astrophysics of feedback in local AGN
- Author
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Cappi, M., Done, C., Behar, E., Bianchi, S., Braito, V., Costantini, E., Mauro Dadina, Feruglio, C., Fiore, F., Gallagher, S., Gandhi, P., Grosso, N., Kaastra, J., King, A., Lobban, A., Maiolino, R., Piconcelli, E., Ponti, G., Porquet, D., Pounds, K., Proga, D., Ranalli, P., Reeves, J., Risaliti, G., Rodriguez Hidalgo, P., Rovilos, E., Sim, S., Stewart, G., Tombesi, F., Tsuru, T. G., Vaughan, S., Wang, D., Worrall, D., Porquet, Delphine, Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg (ObAS), and Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE) ,[SDU.ASTR.CO] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Cosmology and Extra-Galactic Astrophysics [astro-ph.CO] ,Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO) ,Astrophysics - Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics ,[SDU.ASTR]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph] ,[SDU.ASTR.HE] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena [astro-ph.HE] ,[SDU.ASTR.CO]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Cosmology and Extra-Galactic Astrophysics [astro-ph.CO] ,[SDU.ASTR.HE]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena [astro-ph.HE] ,Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena ,FOS: Physical sciences ,Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics ,[SDU.ASTR] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph] ,[SDU] Sciences of the Universe [physics] ,[SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] ,Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics ,Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena ,Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics ,Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics - Abstract
Understanding the astrophysics of feedback in active galactic nuclei (AGN) is key to understanding the growth and co-evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies. AGN-driven winds/outflows are potentially the most effective way of transporting energy and momentum from the nuclear scales to the host galaxy, quenching star formation by sweeping away the gas reservoir. Key questions in this field are: 1) how do accretion disks around black holes launch winds/outflows, and how much energy do these carry? 2) How are the energy and metals accelerated in winds/outflows transferred and deposited into the circumgalactic medium? X-ray observations are a unique way to address these questions because they probe the phase of the outflows which carries most of the kinetic energy. We show how a high throughput, high spectral resolution instrument like the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) on Athena+ will allow us to address these questions by determining the physical parameters (ionization state, density, temperature, abundances, velocities, geometry, etc.) of the outflows on a dynamical time-scale, in a broad sample of nearby bright AGN. The X-IFU will also allow direct spectral imaging of the impact of these winds on the host galaxy for local AGN, forming a template for understanding AGN at higher redshifts where wind shocks cannot be resolved., Supporting paper for the science theme "The Hot and Energetic Universe" to be implemented by the Athena+ X-ray observatory (http://www.the-athena-x-ray-observatory.eu). 10 pages, 6 figures
- Published
- 2013