The Impact of BAL Outflows on Cosmological Structure Formation

Quasar feedback has been invoked as a major mechanism for influencing large-scale cosmological structure. To quantify to what extent they affect the real universe, one needs to measure the mechanical energy output of quasars and assess the ability of this energy to produce the feedback. We have developed an observational/modeling program that has yielded the first reliable kinetic luminosity determinations of quasar broad absorption line (BAL) outflows, and have demonstrated that energetically they are indeed a major contributor to AGN feedback.