What physical law plays a crucial role in the protostar disk formation?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

In the context of protostar disk formation, several physical principles come into play as the collapsing gas cloud sheds energy and reorganizes itself into a rotating structure.

Because the gas cloud is collapsing under gravity, any small initial rotation will be amplified as the material contracts, since angular momentum must be conserved unless external torques act on the system. This leads to the development of a rotating disk: as material moves inward, its rotational speed increases to conserve angular momentum, causing it to spread into a disk rather than a simple spherical infall.

Conservation of angular momentum explains why a protostellar disk forms at all: without losing angular momentum, the infalling gas cannot shed enough angular momentum to fall directly onto the protostar, so it settles into an orbiting disk where viscous processes can transport angular momentum outward and mass inward.

If we consider other forces or principles, gravity remains the dominant driving force pulling material inward, but angular momentum conservation determines the geometry and rotational dynamics, setting up the disk structure. Energy conservation and thermodynamics matter for heating, cooling, and phase changes within the disk, yet they do not by themselves explain the initial tendency to form a disk from a collapsing cloud.

Given that the question highlights a single law crucial to disk formation, the key concept is that angular momentum must be conserved, which shapes how material spins up and organizes into a rotating protostellar disk.

Note: since the answer options were not provided in the data, this analysis focuses on why the stated correct answer—conservation of angular momentum—plays a central role in protostellar disk formation, and clarifies the role of related physical principles for better conceptual understanding.

COS SPR 25 class 2 Mar 11 Ch16: Star Birth

What physical law plays a crucial role in the protostar disk formation?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

According to our theory of solar system formation, why do all the planets orbit the Sun in the same direction and in nearly the same plane?

In a consumer society, many adults channel creativity into buying things

Economic stress and unpredictable times have resulted in a booming industry for self-help products

People born without creativity never can develop it

A product has a selling price of $20, a contribution margin ratio of 40% and fixed cost of $120,000. To make a profit of $30,000. The number of units that must be sold is: Type the number without $ and a comma. Eg: 20000

Which of the following statement regarding cost is correct:

Under the assumptions used in cost-volume-profit analysis, as the activity increases:

The CVP and break-even analysis are supported by a range of important assumptions. Which of the following is not an assumption of the CVP:

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler