Paper detail

The distribution of star-forming regions in M33

We use fractal analysis to systematically study the clustering strength of the distribution of stars, HII regions, molecular gas, and individual giant molecular clouds in M33 over a wide range of spatial scales. We find a clear transition from a scale-free behavior at small spatial scales to a nearly uniform distribution at large scales. The transition region lies in the range 500-1000 pc and it separates the regime of small-scale turbulent motion from that of large-scale galactic dynamics. The three-dimensional fractal dimension of bright young stars and molecular gas at small spatial scales is similar to or less than 1.9 indicating that the interstellar medium in M33 is on average much more fragmented and irregular than the in the Milky Way.