Spiral structure in galaxies can arise from both dynamic and non dynamic phenomena: spiral density waves and stochastic selfpropagating star formation. The relative importance of these effects is still not known. Deficiences of the original selfpropagating star formation model (where only stars are taken into account) are overcome by explicitly considering the stars embedded in and interacting with a two-component gas (Seiden and Gerola, 1979; Seiden, Schulman and Feitzinger, 1982; Seiden and

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... rola, 1982). The two-component gas is essential because it is the means by which we get feedback in the interaction between stars and gas. The coupling between stars and gas regulates and stabilizes star formation in a galaxy. Under proper conditions this model can give good grand design spirals (Fig. 1).