Precise physical conditions for the warm gas outflows in the nearby active galaxy IC 5063

Abstract

ABSTRACT Active galactic nucleus (AGN)-driven outflows are now routinely used in models of galaxy evolution as a feedback mechanism; however, many of their properties remain highly uncertain. Perhaps the greatest source of uncertainty is the electron density of the outflowing gas, which directly affects derived kinetic powers and mass outflow rates. Here we present spatially resolved, wide spectral-coverage Xshooter observations of the nearby active galaxy IC 5063 (z = 0.001131), which shows clear signatures of outflows being driven by shocks induced by a radio jet interacting with the ISM. For the first time, we use the higher-critical-density transauroral (TR) [S ii] and [O ii] lines to derive electron densities in spatially resolved observations of an active galaxy, and present evidence that the lines are emitted in the same spatial regions as other key diagnostic lines. In addition, we find that the post-shock gas is denser than the pre-shock gas, possibly due to shock compression effects. We derive kinetic powers for the warm ionized outflow phase and find them to be below those required by galaxy evolution models; however, other studies of different gas phases in IC 5063 allow us to place our results in a wider context in which the cooler gas phases constitute most of the outflowing mass. We investigate the dominant ionization and excitation mechanisms and find that the warm ionized outflow phase is dominated by AGN-photoionization, while the warm molecular phase has composite AGN-shock excitation. Overall, our results highlight the importance of robust outflow diagnostics and reinforce the utility of the TR lines for future studies of outflows in active galaxies.