A variable P v broad absorption line and quasar outflow energetics

Broad absorption lines (BALs) in quasar spectra identify high velocity outflows that might exist in all quasars and could play a major role in feedback to galaxy evolution. The viability of BAL outflows as a feedback mechanism depends on their kinetic energies, as derived from the outflow velocities, column densities, and distances from the central quasar. We estimate these quantities for the quasar, Q1413+1143 (redshift ze = 2.56), aided by the first detection of Pv λ1118, 1128 BAL variability in a quasar. In particular, Pv absorption at velocities where the C iv trough does not reach zero intensity implies that the C iv BAL is saturated and the absorber only partially covers the background continuum source (with characteristic size <0.01 pc). With the assumption of solar abundances, we estimate that the total column density in the BAL outflow is logNH & 22.3 cm . Variability in the Pv and saturated C iv BALs strongly disfavors changes in the ionization as the cause of the BAL variability, but supports models with high-column density BAL clouds moving across our lines of sight. The observed variability time of 1.6 yr in the quasar rest frame indicates crossing speeds >750 km s and a radial distance from the central black hole of .3.5 pc, if the crossing speeds are Keplerian. The total outflow mass is ∼4100 M⊙, the kinetic energy ∼4 × 10 erg, and the ratio of the outflow kinetic energy luminosity to the quasar bolometric luminosity is ∼0.02 (at the minimum column density and maximum distance), which might be sufficient for important feedback to the quasar’s host galaxy.