Abstract
We present a study of HII regions in M51 using HST/ACS images taken as part of the Hubble Heritage Program. We found about 19,600 HII regions in M51 with $H_{\alpha}$ luminosity in the range of $L=10^{35.5}-10^{39.0}\;erg\;s^{-1}$. The $H_{\alpha}$ luminosity function of HII regions (HII LF) in M51 is well represented by a double power law with its index ${\alpha}=-2.25{\pm}0.02$ for the bright part and ${\alpha}=-1.42{\pm}0.01$ for the faint part, separated at a break point $L=10^{37.1}\;erg\;s^{-1}$. Comparison with simulated HII LFs suggests that this break is caused by the transition of HII region ionizing sources, from low-mass clusters (including several OB stars) to more massive clusters (including several tens of OB stars). The HII LFs with L < $10^{37.1}\;erg\;s^{-1}$ are found to have different slopes for different parts in M51: the HII LF for the interarm region is steeper than those for the arm and the nuclear regions. This observed difference in HII LFs can be explained by evolutionary effects: HII regions in the interarm region are relatively older than those in the other parts of M51. The size distribution of the HII regions is fitted by a double power law with a break at D = 30 pc. The power law index for the small HII regions with 15 pc < D < 30 pc is ${\alpha}=-1.78{\pm}0.04$, whereas ${\alpha}=-5.04{\pm}0.08$ for the large HII region with 30 pc < D < 110 pc. The power law indices of the size distribution are related with those of HII LF, and the relation between the luminosities and sizes of HII regions is fitted well by $L{\propto}D^{3.04{\pm}}$.
(Seoul National University)