CTC Seminar: Mayank Sharma (VA Tech), The best of both worlds: First combined study of quasar outflows in IFS-emission and absorption

The best of both worlds: First combined study of quasar outflows in IFS-emission and absorption

Mayank Sharma 
PhD Candidate

Abstract: Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) play an important role in the evolution of their host galaxies. A major contribution to this phenomenon is through powerful winds driven by SMBHs, known as quasar outflows. The signatures of these outflows are studied using two main techniques: (a) Line of sight (Absorption) Spectroscopy and (b) Integral Field (Emission) Spectroscopy. The strengths of these methods are complementary and if combined can lead to a better determination of the physical nature of the outflowing gas. However, they have never been used together to study the same outflow phase in a quasar, and thus we do not know if these techniques even trace the same gas. This talk will present the results of applying both these analysis methods to the ionized outflow in quasar 3C 191. For the first time ever, we find consistent distance and velocity determinations that show that we can study the same gas using both these techniques. This finding provides the long missing link needed to combine their strengths and develop a deeper understanding of quasar outflows and their impact on the host galaxies.

Host: Ankita Bera