Dust in the wind I: spectropolarimetric signatures from disk-born
  outflows
  In this first research note of a series of two, we conduct optical/UV
investigations of the spectropolarimetric signatures emerging from the
structure of quasars (Elvis 2000) applied to a purely theoretical, dusty model.
We aim to explore the similarities/differences between an absorbing, disk-born
outflow and the usual dusty torus that is supposed to hide the internal regions
of active galactic nuclei (AGN). Using radiative transfer Monte Carlo
simulations, we compute the continuum polarization signatures emerging from the
model setup of Elvis (2000). We find that a dust-filled outflow produces very
low amount of wavelength-depend polarization degrees, associated with a photon
polarization angle perpendicular to the projected symmetry axis of the model.
The polarization percentages are ten times lower than what can be produced by a
toroidal model, with a maximal polarization degree found for intermediate
viewing angle (i.e. when the observer's line-of-sight crosses the outflowing
material). The structure for quasars unsuccessfully blocks the radiation from
the central irradiating source and shows a spectropolarimetric behavior that
cannot be conciliated with observations. Either a new set of morphological
parameters or different optical thickness must be considered.
