Introducing RAFIKI: Refining Active Galactic Nuclei Feedback in Kinetic Implementations

Abstract Modern cosmological simulations have matured to the point of reproducing realistic galaxy populations across cosmic time. Yet these simulations rely on feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) to quench massive galaxies, and the details of this process remain poorly understood. To address this issue, we introduce Refining AGN Feedback in Kinetic Implementations (RAFIKI), a novel suite of simulations built upon SIMBA-C that varies the energetic efficiencies of jets and winds driven by AGN. Unlike the fiducial SIMBA-C simulation, RAFIKI separates the efficiencies of these two feedback modes, enabling a detailed study of their impact on galaxies, black holes, and the circumgalactic medium. We find that even with enhanced mass loading, the lower-velocity quasar-type wind mode cannot quench massive galaxies. However, it plays a significant role in regulating black hole growth and star formation in intermediate-mass galaxies. We also uncover degeneracies in the parameter space that highlight the lack of current constraints on AGN feedback. RAFIKI provides a controlled framework to disentangle these degeneracies using current and upcoming observations.