STAR-FORMATION IN DIFFERENTIALLY ROTATING GALACTIC DISKS - THE PHYSICS OF SELF-PROPAGATION

Large-scale propagating star formation in galaxies is studied as a sel f-regulating process. The model connects the energy injection by star formation with the resulting interstellar structures in a differential ly rotating disc. The star formation cycle includes the formation of n ew stars in groups, multisupernova remnants agglomerating the gas into supershells, formation of clouds and repeated birth of stars. We inve stigate the evolution of a galaxy dominated by this cycle and conclude that the predicted radial distributions of H1 and H2, the numbers of multisupernova remnants and massive cloud complexes, the surface filli ng factors of shells, the star formation rate (SFR), and the location of the molecular rings are in agreement with the properties of the obs erved galaxies.