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Abstract

Supernova remnants (SNRs) are key components in the energy and chemical feedback processes that shape galaxy evolution. However, their localized impact on the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM) remains uncertain. In this thesis, we present the largest extragalactic SNR catalog to date, identifying approximately 2,200 SNR candidates across 19 nearby star-forming galaxies. Our work is based on optical integral field spectroscopy from the PHANGS–MUSE survey, obtained with the MUSE instrument on the Very Large Telescope. Unlike traditional photometric surveys, our data provide spatially resolved spectroscopic diagnostics, allowing us to robustly distinguish SNRs from HII regions using multiple criteria, including [SII]/H$\alpha$ and [OI]/H$\alpha$ line ratios, velocity dispersion, and Baldwin–Phillips–Terlevich (BPT) diagrams. To assess the role of SNRs in chemical enrichment and environmental dependence, we examine gas-phase oxygen abundances in HII regions at varying distances from SNRs. We find no statistically significant metallicity enhancement in their vicinity, suggesting that SNRs show no strong preference for metallicity environment.

Finally, we present exploratory analyses that combine PHANGS–MUSE SNR catalogs with ALMA, JWST, and HST data to investigate their relation to molecular clouds, their potential impact on dust and PAHs, and their small-scale structural and environmental properties.