A near-infrared study of the multi-phase outflow in the type-2 quasar J1509+0434

Abstract

Based on new near-infrared spectroscopic data from the instrument EMIR on the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) we report the presence of an ionized and warm molecular outflow in the luminous type-2 quasar J150904.22+043441.8 (z = 0.1118). The ionized outflow is faster than its molecular counterpart, although the outflow sizes that we derive for them are consistent within the errors (1.34±0.18 kpc and 1.46±0.20 kpc respectively). We use these radii, the broad emission-line luminosities and in the case of the ionized outflow, the density calculated from the trans-auroral [OII] and [SII] lines, to derive mass outflow rates and kinetic coupling efficiencies. Whilst the ionized and warm molecular outflows represent a small fraction of the AGN power (≤0.033% and 0.0001% of Lbol respectively), the total molecular outflow, whose mass is estimated from an assumed warm-to-cold gas mass ratio of 6× 10−5, has a kinetic coupling efficiency of ∼1.7%Lbol. Despite the large uncertainty, this molecular outflow represents a significant fraction of Lbol and it could potentially have a significant impact on the host galaxy. In addition, the quasar spectrum reveals bright and patchy narrow Paα emission extending out to 4″ (8 kpc) South-East and North-West from the active nucleus.