Connecting Clump Sizes in Turbulent Disk Galaxies to Instability Theory
  In this letter we study the mean sizes of Halpha clumps in turbulent disk
galaxies relative to kinematics, gas fractions, and Toomre Q. We use 100~pc
resolution HST images, IFU kinematics, and gas fractions of a sample of rare,
nearby turbulent disks with properties closely matched to z~1.5-2 main-sequence
galaxies (the DYNAMO sample). We find linear correlations of normalized mean
clump sizes with both the gas fraction and the velocity dispersion-to-rotation
velocity ratio of the host galaxy. We show that these correlations are
consistent with predictions derived from a model of instabilities in a
self-gravitating disk (the so-called "violent disk instability model"). We also
observe, using a two-fluid model for Q, a correlation between the size of
clumps and self-gravity driven unstable regions. These results are most
consistent with the hypothesis that massive star forming clumps in turbulent
disks are the result of instabilities in self-gravitating gas-rich disks, and
therefore provide a direct connection between resolved clump sizes and this in
situ mechanism.
