Abstract
The evolution of galaxies is connected to the growth of supermassive black
holes in their centers. During the quasar phase, a huge luminosity is released
as matter falls onto the black hole, and radiation-driven winds can transfer
most of this energy back to the host galaxy. Over five different epochs, we
detected the signatures of a nearly spherical stream of highly ionized gas in
the broadband X-ray spectra of the luminous quasar PDS 456. This persistent
wind is expelled at relativistic speeds from the inner accretion disk, and its
wide aperture suggests an effective coupling with the ambient gas. The
outflow's kinetic power larger than 10^46 ergs per second is enough to provide
the feedback required by models of black hole and host galaxy co-evolution.
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