A MUSE View of the Optical Torus within the Supernova Remnant 1E 0102.2–7219

We present new Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) Narrow Field Mode with adaptive optics observations of the optical torus surrounding a central compact object candidate within the oxygen-rich supernova remnant 1E 0102.2–7219 located in the Small Magellanic Cloud. These data provide nearly an order-of-magnitude improvement in spatial resolution over previous MUSE Wide Field Mode observations. The improved spatial resolution resolved the previously identified torus into a cavity-like structure with a sharply defined inner edge and diffuse, outer filamentary substructure. The emission shows continuous velocity connectivity, broad intrinsic line widths, and cospatial contributions from neutral and partially ionized species, including O i , Ne i , [O i ], [O ii ], and [O iii ]. Spatially resolved line-ratio maps indicate that the emission arises from a multiphase, nonequilibrium medium rather than a single homogeneous component. Comparison with photoionization and shock models shows that no single-component model within the explored parameter space can simultaneously reproduce both the strong neutral and high-ionization diagnostics, indicating that multiple physical conditions must coexist. We favor an interpretation in which shocks propagating through density inhomogeneities in the ejecta shape the observed morphology and excitation, while also considering alternative mechanisms linked to the central source, binary evolution, or interaction with an embedded object within the remnant.