By Sibasish Laha

Outflows from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are one of the fundamental mechanisms by which the central supermassive black hole interacts with its host galaxy. Detected in ≥ 50% of nearby AGNs, these outflows have been found to carry kinetic energy that is a large fraction of the AGN power and thereby give ‘negative’ feedback to their host galaxies. To understand the physical processes that regulate them, it is important to have a robust estimate of their physical and dynamical parameters. In this Nature Astronomy review Article, we summarize our current understanding of the physics of the ionized outflows detected via absorption in the ultraviolet and X-ray wavelength bands. We discuss the most relevant observations and our current knowledge and uncertainties in the measurements of the outflow parameters, as well as their origin and acceleration mechanisms.

Athena with its large effective area and high spectral resolution is going to revolutionize the field, by better characterizing the outflow parameters and their impact on the surroundings. In this work, we discussed our limitations with the current generation instruments and how Athena can actually improve the situation.

Access to the manuscript in ADS.