Interstellar medium structure and the slope of the radio $\Sigma-D$
  relation of supernova remnants
  We analyze the influence of fractal structure of the interstellar matter
(ISM) density on the parameter values for the radio surface brightness to
diameter ($\Sigma-D$) relation for supernovae remnants (SNRs). We model a dense
ISM as a molecular cloud with fractal density structure. SNRs are modelled as
spheres of different radius scattered in the modelled ISM. The surface
brightness of the SNRs is calculated from the simple relation $\Sigma \propto
\rho^{0.5}D^{-3.5}$ and also from the parametrized more general form $\Sigma
\propto \rho^{\eta}D^{-\beta_0}$. Our results demonstrate that empirical
$\Sigma-D$ slopes that are steeper than the ones derived from theory, might be
partly explained with the fractal structure of the ambient medium into which
SNRs expand. The slope of the $\Sigma-D$ relation steepens if the density of
the regions where SNRs are formed is higher. The simple geometrical effects
combined with the fractal structure of the ISM can contribute to a steeper
empirical $\Sigma-D$ slopes, especially for older remnants, and this is more
pronounced if $\Sigma$ has a stronger dependence on ambient density.
