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Abstract:

The active galactic nucleus (AGN) is an accreting supermassive black hole (SMBH) located at the center of a galaxy. AGNs not only trace the growth of SMBHs via mass accretion but also impact their host galaxies through outflows. One of the primary driving mechanisms of these outflows is the radiation pressure on the dusty gas surrounding the AGN, and its strength depends on the amount of dust grains. While the dust content can be estimated from dust extinction, it has been difficult to measure large dust extinctions for large samples, which is especially important to know the radiation pressure effect. For this reason, the effect of radiation pressure has been investigated using gas column densities. However, recent studies have raised concerns about the validity of this approach. In this study, we develop a new method to measure large dust extinctions in large samples, enabling a more accurate evaluation of the radiation pressure acting on AGN gas structures.