HII regions and star formation in the Magellanic Clouds

Abstract

The H II regions in the Magellanic Clouds provide an opportunity to characterize the global star formation properties of a galaxy at close range. They also provide a unique laboratory for testing empirical tracers of the massive star formation rates and initial mass functions in more distant galaxies, and for studying the dynamical interactions between massive stars and the interstellar medium. This paper discusses several current studies in these areas.