We investigate the presence of extended ionized outflows in 18 luminous type 2 AGNs (11
quasars and 7 high-luminosity Seyfert 2s) at 0.3 <z< 0.6 based on VLT-FORS2 spectroscopy.
We infer typical lower limits on the radial sizes of the outflows Ro several × 100 pc and
upper limits Ro 1–2 kpc. Our results are inconsistent with related studies which suggest that
large scale (Ro ∼ several-15 kpc) are ubiquitous in QSO2. We study the possible causes of
discrepancy and propose that seeing smearing is the cause of the large inferred sizes. The
implications in our understanding of the feedback phenomenon are important since the mass
Mo (through the density), mass injection M˙ o and energy injection E˙ o rates of the outflows
become highly uncertain. One conclusion seems unavoidable: Mo, M˙ o and E˙ o are modest
or low compared with previous estimations. We obtain typically Mo (0.4–22) × 106 M
(median 1.1 × 106 M) assuming n = 1000 cm−3. These are ∼102–104 times lower than
values reported in the literature. Even under the most favourable assumptions, we obtain M˙ o
10 M yr−1 in general, 100–1000 times lower than claimed in related studies. Although the
uncertainties are large, it is probable that these are lower than typical star-forming rates. In
conclusion, no evidence is found supporting that typical outflows can affect the interstellar
medium of the host galaxies across spatial scales 1–2 kpc