Unification of X-ray Winds in Seyfert Galaxies: From Ultra-fast Outflows to Warm Absorbers

The existence of ionized X-ray absorbing layers of gas along the line of sight to the nuclei
of Seyfert galaxies is a well established observational fact. This material is systematically
outflowing and shows a large range in parameters. However, its actual nature and dynamics
are still not clear. In order to gain insights into these important issues we performed a literature
search for papers reporting the parameters of the soft X-ray warm absorbers (WAs) in 35 type
1 Seyferts and compared their properties to those of the ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) detected in
the same sample. The fraction of sources with WAs is >60 per cent, consistent with previous
studies. The fraction of sources with UFOs is >34 per cent, >67 per cent of which also
show WAs. The large dynamic range obtained when considering all the absorbers together,
spanning several orders of magnitude in ionization, column, velocity and distance allows us,
for the first time, to investigate general relations among them. In particular, we find significant
correlations indicating that the closer the absorber is to the central black hole, the higher the
ionization, column, outflow velocity and consequently the mechanical power. In all the cases,
the absorbers continuously populate the whole parameter space, with the WAs and the UFOs
lying always at the two ends of the distribution. These evidence strongly suggest that these
absorbers, often considered of different types, could actually represent parts of a single large-scale
stratified outflow observed at different locations from the black hole. The UFOs are likely
launched from the inner accretion disc and the WAs at larger distances, such as the outer disc
and/or torus. We argue that the observed parameters and correlations are, to date, consistent
with both radiation pressure through Compton scattering and magnetohydrodynamic processes
contributing to the outflow acceleration, the latter playing a major role. Most of the absorbers,
especially the UFOs, show a sufficiently high mechanical power (at least approx 0.5 per cent of the
bolometric luminosity) to provide a significant contribution to active galactic nuclei (AGN)
feedback and thus to the evolution of the host galaxy. In this regard, we find possible evidence
for the interaction of the AGN wind with the surrounding environment on large scales.