AGN Feedback: How Supermassive Black Holes Shape Galaxies Through Outflows

Supermassive black holes have a significant impact on the gas in galaxies through the release of energy in the form of radiation and kinetic energy, which influences the evolution of the galaxy. This phenomenon is referred to as AGN feedback, and various studies have demonstrated its crucial role in the formation and evolution of host galaxies. One important form of feedback for quasars is the outflows they generate, which can be observed through blueshifted broad absorption line features (BALs) on the spectrum of background sources. By studying the variability and velocity shift of BALs over time, researchers can gain insight into the lifetimes, locations, and geometries of quasar winds, as well as make inferences about the dynamics of outflow models.