The evolution of protoplanetary disks is influenced by a combination of internal processes linked to the central star, and external influences from the surrounding environment. Both pathways produce photoevaporative winds that drive disk dispersal from opposite directions. In star clusters, the UV radiation from massive OB stars irradiates disks externally, strongly affecting disk sizes, masses, and survival timescales. Until recently, the same emission lines were used for studying both internally and externally driven photoevaporative winds. However, disentangling the winds is essential for interpreting spectroscopic observations and completing models of disk evolution.
In this talk, I will give an overview of the recent studies on externally irradiated disks—proplyds, in the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) with a focus on a spatially resolved dataset acquired with VLT/MUSE. I will present results in our effort to identify signatures unique to external photoevaporation, including a comparison of ONC sources with those in low-mass star-forming regions, and discuss tracers which open new windows into researching proplyds.