Unveiling gas (in)flows in barred galaxies: Insights from PHANGS Observations

Galactic bars are interesting central features that are thought to drive gas from the galactic disk towards the center of a galaxy through bar lanes. This gas inflow can trigger nuclear star formation, fuel supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and, indirectly, it can control active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. Therefore, measuring inflow rates is key to understanding the evolution of galactic nuclei. In this work, we focus on the central region of the weakly-barred spiral galaxy NGC 4303 using high-resolution maps from the PHANGS-ALMA survey. This observational approach allows us to study the interplay between nuclear activity and gas inflows. By combining observations with hydrodynamical simulations, we can assess the efficiency of gas transport in fuelling the nucleus, and their potential role in triggering AGN activity. Our findings offer valuable insights into how galactic-scale processes influence the growth and feedback of SMBHs, offering new perspectives on the evolution of galaxies and their central regions.