Wind-type outflows in Seyfert 1 active nuclei

A sub-relativistic, thermal wind-type flow could represent the physical connection between the central engine and other observed components of the central region, such as the Broad Line Region (BLR) and X-ray/UV absorbers. Observational clues as to the existence of such outflows in radio-quiet Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) are provided, for instance, by blue shifted absorption lines in Seyferts and Broad Absorption Line Quasi Stellar Objects (BAL QSOs). We study a model for wind-type flows in Seyfert 1s and explore the physical conditions of the outflowing gas, taking into account explicitly both heating and cooling processes, including Compton interaction with radiation. A distributed heating source along the wind way turns out to be necessary for this nuclear wind existence and restrictions on physical parameters to obtain a reasonable wind model in the AGN context are identified; we also allow for externally originated mass loading of the wind.