SPIRAL SHOCK TRIGGERING OF STAR FORMATION

BONNELL IAN

We investigate the shock triggering of star formation as the ISM gas passes through a spiral arm. Using numerical simulations, we follow the formation of dense clouds and analyse their internal structures and kinematics. Star formation occurring in locally bound regions inside these clouds is also modeled self-consistently allowing for an estimate of the local star formation rate and efficiency. We also discuss the prospects for including feedback from star formation into these models.