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Ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) have been revealed in a large number of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the past two decades. Their extreme velocities and high ionization states make them a promising candidate for AGN feedback on the evolution of the host galaxy. However, their exact underlying driving mechanism is not yet fully understood. Given that the variability of UFOs may be used to distinguish among different launching mechanisms, we aim to search for and characterize the responses of the UFO properties to the variable irradiating luminosity. We perform a high-resolution time- and flux-resolved spectroscopy of archival XMM-Newton observations on six highly accreting narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies, selected by UFO detection and sufficient exposure times. The state-of-the-art methods of the blind Gaussian line scan and photoionization model scan are used to identify UFO solutions. We search for ionized winds and investigate the structure of ionized winds and their responses to the luminosity variations. The location, density, and kinetic energy of UFOs are estimated as well. The powerful photoionization model scan reveals three previously unreported UFOs in RE J1034+396, PG 1244+026 and I ZW 1 with a detection significance above $3 and two new warm absorbers (WAs) in RE J1034+396. Five out of six (83<!PCT!>) AGN in our sample host multi-phase ionized winds, where outflows in I ZW 1 are energy-conserved. The relatively low-ionization entrained UFOs are discovered in four (66<!PCT!>) AGN of our sample, supporting the shocked outflow interpretation for ionized winds in AGN. We notice that two out of seven (28<!PCT!>) UFOs in our sample seem to respond to the radiation field and three (43<!PCT!>) UFOs hint at a radiatively accelerated nature, requiring further observations. Combined with published works, we do not find any correlations between UFO responses and AGN properties except for a tentative ($ anti-correlation between the UFO acceleration and the Eddington ratio, to be confirmed by further observations and an enlarged sample. The kinetic energy of UFOs, mostly detected in soft X-rays, is found to have a large uncertainty. We, therefore, cannot conclude whether soft X-ray UFOs have sufficient energy to drive the AGN feedback, although they are very promising based on some reasonable assumptions. The primary UFO in I ZW 1 (detected in the hard X-ray) is the only case in our sample to possess conclusively sufficient energy to affect the host galaxy.
Ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) have been revealed in a large number of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the past two decades. Their extreme velocities and high ionization states make them a promising candidate for AGN feedback on the evolution of the host galaxy. However, their exact underlying driving mechanism is not yet fully understood. Given that the variability of UFOs may be used to distinguish among different launching mechanisms, we aim to search for and characterize the responses of the UFO properties to the variable irradiating luminosity. We perform a high-resolution time- and flux-resolved spectroscopy of archival XMM-Newton observations on six highly accreting narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies, selected by UFO detection and sufficient exposure times. The state-of-the-art methods of the blind Gaussian line scan and photoionization model scan are used to identify UFO solutions. We search for ionized winds and investigate the structure of ionized winds and their responses to the luminosity variations. The location, density, and kinetic energy of UFOs are estimated as well. The powerful photoionization model scan reveals three previously unreported UFOs in RE J1034+396, PG 1244+026 and I ZW 1 with a detection significance above $3 and two new warm absorbers (WAs) in RE J1034+396. Five out of six (83<!PCT!>) AGN in our sample host multi-phase ionized winds, where outflows in I ZW 1 are energy-conserved. The relatively low-ionization entrained UFOs are discovered in four (66<!PCT!>) AGN of our sample, supporting the shocked outflow interpretation for ionized winds in AGN. We notice that two out of seven (28<!PCT!>) UFOs in our sample seem to respond to the radiation field and three (43<!PCT!>) UFOs hint at a radiatively accelerated nature, requiring further observations. Combined with published works, we do not find any correlations between UFO responses and AGN properties except for a tentative ($ anti-correlation between the UFO acceleration and the Eddington ratio, to be confirmed by further observations and an enlarged sample. The kinetic energy of UFOs, mostly detected in soft X-rays, is found to have a large uncertainty. We, therefore, cannot conclude whether soft X-ray UFOs have sufficient energy to drive the AGN feedback, although they are very promising based on some reasonable assumptions. The primary UFO in I ZW 1 (detected in the hard X-ray) is the only case in our sample to possess conclusively sufficient energy to affect the host galaxy.
ESO 141-G55 is a nearby X-ray bright broad-line Seyfert\,1 (BLS1) that has been classified as a bare active galactic nucleus (AGN) due to a lack of warm absorption along its line of sight, providing an unhampered view into its disc-corona system. We aim to probe its disc-corona system thanks to the first simultaneous XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observation obtained October 1--2, 2022. We carried out an X-ray broadband spectral analysis to determine the dominant process(es) at work as well as a spectral energy distribution (SED) analysis to determine the disc-corona properties. The simultaneous broadband X-ray spectrum of ESO\,141-G55 is characterised by the presence of a prominent smooth soft X-ray excess, a broad Fe\,Kalpha emission line, and a significant Compton hump. The high-resolution reflection grating spectrometer spectra confirmed the lack of intrinsic warm-absorbing gas along our line of sight in the AGN rest frame, verifying that it is still in a bare state. However, soft X-ray emission lines were observed, indicating substantial warm gas out of our line of sight. The intermediate inclination of the disc-corona system (sim circ $) may offer us a favourable configuration to observe ultra-fast outflows from the disc, but none were found in this 2022 observation, contrary to a previous 2007 XMM-Newton one. We ruled out relativistic reflection alone on a standard disc based on the X-ray broadband analysis, while a combination of soft and hard Comptonisation by a warm and hot corona ( relagn ) plus relativistic reflection ( reflkerrd ) reproduces the ESO\,141-G55 SED quite well. The hot corona temperature is very hot, sim 140\,keV, and much higher than about 80<!PCT!> of AGNs, whereas the warm corona temperature, sim 0.3\,keV, is similar to the values found in other sub-Eddington AGNs. ESO\,141-G55 is accreting at a moderate Eddington accretion rate (sim 10--20<!PCT!>). Our analysis points to a significant contribution of an optically thick warm corona to both the soft X-ray and UV emission in ESO\,141-G55, adding to the growing evidence that the accretion of AGNs (even at a moderate accretion rate) appears to deviate from standard disc theory.
As an inaugural investigation under the X-ray Winds In Nearby-to-distant Galaxies (X-WING) program, we assembled a data set comprising 132 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) spanning redshifts z ∼ 0–4 characterized by blueshifted absorption lines indicative of X-ray winds. Through an exhaustive review of previous research, we compiled the outflow parameters for 583 X-ray winds, encompassing key attributes such as outflow velocities (V out), ionization parameters (ξ), and hydrogen column densities. By leveraging the parameters V out and ξ, we systematically categorized the winds into three distinct groups: ultrafast outflows (UFOs), low-ionization parameter (low-IP) UFOs, and warm absorbers (WAs). Strikingly, a discernible absence of linear correlations in the outflow parameters, coupled with distributions approaching instrumental detection limits, was observed. Another notable finding was the identification of a velocity gap around V out ∼ 10,000 km s−1. This gap was particularly evident in the winds detected via absorption lines within the ≲2 keV band, indicating disparate origins for low-IP UFOs and WAs. In cases involving Fe xxv/Fe xxvi lines, where the gap might be attributed to potential confusion between emission/absorption lines and the Fe K-edge, the possibility of UFOs and galactic-scale WAs being disconnected is considered. An examination of the outflow and dust sublimation radii revealed a distinction: UFOs appear to consist of dust-free material, whereas WAs likely comprise dusty gas. From 2024, the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission is poised to alleviate observational biases, providing insights into the authenticity of the identified gap, a pivotal question in comprehending AGN feedback from UFOs.
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