Background:
In the 40 years since quasars were discovered, the paradigm of
a supermassive black hole surrounded by an accretion disk and
emitting a relativistic jet has become well supported and accepted.
However, this paradigm deals with a naked quasar. Instead the bulk of
the >10(4) papers written about quasars make no connection with this
paradigm, and deal with the gas surrounding the quasar: the broad and
narrow emission lines, and various UV and X-ray absorbing material.
Recently it has become clear that the missing `4th element' in
quasars, after the black hole/disk/jet trio, is a `Quasar Wind'.
Several apparently separate components of the veil of gas surrounding
a quasar are part of a fast wind (1000-10,000 km/s) leaving the inner
regions of the quasar.
In 2000 I proposed a model in which ALL the atomic features are linked
in a single wind structure, so that they constitute the `quasar
atmosphere'.
Quasar winds have implications for the inner workings of quasars, via
their accretion disks, and for how a quasar interacts with its
environment, both the host galaxy and the larger scale intergalactic
medium.
Scientific Questions:
How can we tie down the properties of this wind? Does it have hot and
cold phases? Do the famous broad emission lines of quasar also come
from this wind? Are the luminous quasar different from the weaker
active galactic nuclei, e.g. in having ultrafast winds (the `broad
absorption lines') or do viewing angles dominate?
Can we make models of how a wind is accelerated from the accretion
disk? How much do quasar winds pollute intergalactic space? Do quasar
winds make dust on their way out?
Scientific Methodology:
All of these questions can be addressed with specific observations and
calculations. Because they cover a wide area of methods [X-ray, UV,
optical, IR, mm, radio, modelling] please contact me to discuss
specifics.
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