The hypothesis that density waves trigger star formation is critically examined. Much of the former evidence in favor of the hypothesis is shown to be inconsistent with modern observations. A comparison between galaxies with and without density waves reveals no significant difference in their star formation rates. A new role for density waves in the context of star formation might be based on four principles: 1. density waves are intrinsically strong, 2. the gas is compressed more than the stars in the wave, 3. star formation follows the gas, with no preferential trigger related to the wave itself, and 4. regions of star formation are larger in the spiral arms than they are between the arms. This new role for density waves is primarily one of organization: the waves place most of the gas in the arms, so most of the star formation is in the arms too. The waves also promote the coagulation of small clouds into large cloud complexes, or superclouds, by what appears to be a combination of collisional agglomeration and large-scale gravitational instabilities. Special regions where density waves do trigger a true excess of star formation are discussed, and possible reasons for the difference between these triggering waves and the more common, organizing, waves are mentioned. Other aspects of large-scale star formation, such as the occurrence of kiloparsec-size regions of activity and kiloparsec-range propagation, are illustrated with numerous examples. The importance of these largest scales to the overall mechanism of star formation in galaxies is emphasized.
Star formation scales and efficiency in Galactic spiral arms