Are the observed outflow gas phases manifestations of a single phenomenon or unrelated events?

Determine whether the multi-phase gaseous outflows observed in active galactic nuclei—including hot ionized, warm ionized, neutral atomic, and molecular components—are different manifestations of a single outflow phenomenon with phase transitions between components, or whether these phases represent unrelated events.

Background

Observations report outflows across multiple gas phases (hot ionized, warm ionized, neutral atomic, and molecular) spanning from sub-parsec to kiloparsec scales. Although multi-phase properties have been measured in some cases, most studies provide single-phase estimates, leaving an incomplete view of the global mass and energy budget of outflows.

This uncertainty motivates establishing whether these phases are physically connected through phase transitions within the same outflow, or whether they arise from unrelated processes. Clarifying this point is essential for accurately assessing feedback energetics and the impact of outflows on star formation and galaxy evolution.