by Qev » Sat Aug 26, 2006 2:40 am
Well, the whole gas cloud isn't going to form a star, certainly... it'd be an awfully big star!
The distribution of matter throughout is uneven, so areas with more gas have higher gravity, which pulls in more gas, etc. This is counterbalanced by the temperature of the gas: if it's too hot, gravity can't slow the particles down enough to trap them.
Often these clouds reach a sort of equilibrium, where they're pseudo-stable, until something disturbs them... say the shockwave of a supernova or the passing of a galaxy's spiral arm. This can upset the balance, stirring things up, and causing some areas to finally begin collapsing.
Heavy elements, I believe, tend to alter the lifespans of stars that have a high abundance of them; I think it shortens their 'lifespan'. But I'm not certain on that one, you'll hafta ask someone who knows what they're talking about.
Well, the whole gas cloud isn't going to form a star, certainly... it'd be an awfully big star! :lol:
The distribution of matter throughout is uneven, so areas with more gas have higher gravity, which pulls in more gas, etc. This is counterbalanced by the temperature of the gas: if it's too hot, gravity can't slow the particles down enough to trap them.
Often these clouds reach a sort of equilibrium, where they're pseudo-stable, until something disturbs them... say the shockwave of a supernova or the passing of a galaxy's spiral arm. This can upset the balance, stirring things up, and causing some areas to finally begin collapsing.
Heavy elements, I believe, tend to alter the lifespans of stars that have a high abundance of them; I think it shortens their 'lifespan'. But I'm not certain on that one, you'll hafta ask someone who knows what they're talking about. :D