2009ApJ...694....1S

We use XSCORT, together with the hydrodynamic accretion disk wind simulation from Proga & Kallman, to calculate the impact that the accretion disk wind has on the X-ray spectra from 10⁸ solar mass black hole active galactic nuclei (AGNs) accreting at 0.5 L/L_Edd. The numerical simulation provides a set of self-consistent physical properties for the outflow that mitigates many of the problems inherent in previous XSCORT simulations. The properties of the resulting spectra depend on the viewing angle and clearly reflect the distinct regions apparent in the original hydrodynamic simulation. Very equatorial lines of sight (LOSs) encounter extremely Compton thick column densities and produce spectra that are dominated by Compton scattering and nearly neutral absorption. Polar LOSs encounter small, highly ionized, column densities, and result in largely featureless spectra. Finally, LOSs that intersect the transition region between these extremes encounter moderately ionized, marginally Compton thick column densities, which imprint a wide range of absorption features on the spectrum. Both polar and transition region LOSs produce spectra that show highly ionized, blueshifted, Fe absorption features that are qualitatively similar to features observed in the X-ray spectra of a growing number of AGNs. The spectra cannot reproduce the > 8 keV lines, or the deep ∼ 7-13 keV absorption trough, observed in some high-redshift quasars, although a considerably faster wind may well be able to reproduce these features. The spectra presented here clearly demonstrate that current simulations of line-driven AGN accretion disk winds cannot reproduce the smooth, soft X-ray excess. Furthermore, they predict that high accretion rate (L/L_Edd) AGNs are likely to be strongly affected by obscuration, in sharp contrast to the clean picture that is generally assumed, based on the observed relation between the opening angle of the molecular torus and AGN luminosity.