Outflowing Diffuse Gas in the Active Galactic Nucleus of NGC 1068
  Spectra of the archetypal Type II Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068 in a narrow
wavelength interval near 3.7 microns have revealed a weak absorption feature
due to two lines of the molecular ion H3+. The observed wavelength of the
feature corresponds to velocity of -70 km/s relative to the systemic velocity
of the galaxy, implying an outward flow from the nucleus along the line of
sight. The absorption by H3+ along with the previously known broad hydrocarbon
absorption at 3.4~microns probably are formed in diffuse gas that is in close
proximity to the continuum source, i.e. within a few tens of parsecs of the
central engine. Based on that conclusion and the measured H3+ absorption
velocity and with the assumption of a spherically symmetric wind we estimate a
rate of mass outflow from the AGN of ~1 Msun/yr.
