MAUVE–MUSE: Ionization and kinematic signatures of environmental effects on Virgo Cluster disks

Brown, Toby, Cortese, Luca, Cantinella, Barbara, Fraser-McKelvie, A., Watts, Adam B. and Davis, Timothy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4932-9379 2026. MAUVE–MUSE: Ionization and kinematic signatures of environmental effects on Virgo Cluster disks. The Astrophysical Journal 1004 (1) , 73. 10.3847/1538-4357/ae632e

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Abstract

We present early science results from the Multiphase Astrophysics to Unveil the Virgo Environment (MAUVE) program, which targets 40 Virgo Cluster galaxies to investigate the effect of environment on the interstellar medium (ISM) at ∼100 pc scales. From 12 galaxies in the MAUVE–Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) early sample, we find systematically elevated line ratios compared to Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS)–MUSE field disks, with higher medians of [N ii]/Hα (0.75 versus 0.50), [S ii]/Hα (0.57 versus 0.49), and [O iii]/Hβ (1.04 versus 0.68). Spatially resolved Baldwin–Phillips–Terlevich diagrams show 74% of MAUVE spaxels ionized by sources other than H ii regions versus 61% in the field, and we find these ionization differences to be closely coupled to broadened kinematics. In all, 44% of MAUVE spaxels exceed Hα σLOS = 40 km s−1 (versus 26% in the field), driven mainly by non-star-forming gas with σLOS between 40 and 80 km s−1, consistent with enhanced contribution of diffuse ionized gas (DIG). A subdominant tail of 5% of spaxels at σLOS > 100 km s−1, largely absent in PHANGS–MUSE (1%), points to shocks or turbulent mixing layers from intracluster interactions. Our results show that environmental quenching primarily suppresses star formation, unveiling DIG as the dominant ionized component in cluster disks. The elevated line ratios and broadened kinematics observed in the MAUVE sample reflect the physical state of the ISM in the absence of vigorous star formation, rather than widespread direct environmental excitation. The observed shock-like emission provides an additional, secondary contribution likely driven by active interactions with the intracluster medium.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Physics and Astronomy
Additional Information:	For the full author list see https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae632e
Publisher:	American Astronomical Society
ISSN:	0004-637X
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	10 June 2026
Date of Acceptance:	17 April 2026
Last Modified:	10 Jun 2026 10:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/187504

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