The Transition from Galaxy-wide Gas Inflow to Outflow in Quasar Host Galaxies

Abstract Galactic-wide outflows driven by active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is a routinely invoked mechanism in galaxy evolution models. Hitherto, the interplay among the interstellar gas on galactic scales, the propagation of AGN outflows and the fundamental AGN parameters during evolution remains elusive. Powerful nuclear outflows are found to favorably exist at early AGN stages usually associated with high accretion rates and weak narrow emission lines. In a sample of quasars emitting Mg II narrow absorption lines (NALs) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we discover an unprecedented and spectacular phenomenon where galaxy-scale inflows transforming into outflows accompanied by an increasing strength of the narrow O III line, at a confidence level of 6.7 σ. The fact that nuclear outflows diminish while galaxy-wide outflows intensifies as AGNs evolve implies that early-stage outflows interact with interstellar medium on galactic scales and trigger the gradual transformation into galaxy-wide outflows, providing observational links to the hypothetical multi-stage propagation of AGN outflows that globally regulates galaxy evolution.