Gravitational collapse

Gravitational collapse is the inward contraction of matter under its own gravity. It occurs when gravity overcomes pressure or other forces supporting the matter.

Jeans instability: A condition in which a self-gravitating gas becomes unstable to density fluctuations above a critical scale. It predicts when a gas cloud can begin collapsing instead of remaining pressure-supported.
Star formation: The process by which dense regions of molecular clouds contract into stars and planetary systems. It is the common outcome of collapse in dense, cold regions of interstellar clouds.
Gravitational potential energy: The energy associated with the positions of masses in a gravitational field. As matter contracts, its gravitational potential energy decreases and can heat or accelerate the material.
Gravitational contraction: A gradual decrease in an object's size as it radiates energy and settles toward equilibrium under gravity. It can be quasi-static, unlike the dynamical runaway often meant by gravitational collapse.
Virial theorem: A relation between the time-averaged kinetic and potential energies of a bound system. It connects a collapsing cloud’s gravitational energy to its motions and internal support.
Core-collapse supernova: The explosive death of a massive star after its iron-rich core collapses. Here collapse initiates a catastrophic stellar explosion rather than quiet stellar birth.
Gas pressure: The force per unit area exerted by particles moving and colliding within a gas. Thermal gas pressure can oppose gravity in a collapsing cloud.
Gravitational instability: The growth of density or shape perturbations when gravity overcomes forces that would otherwise suppress them. Instability is the broader condition that can trigger gravitational collapse.
Hydrostatic equilibrium: A state in which pressure gradients balance gravity within a fluid body. Collapse begins when this balance fails to support the matter.
White dwarf: A compact stellar remnant supported against gravity mainly by electron degeneracy pressure. Collapse halts at a white dwarf when electron degeneracy pressure supports the remnant.

Linked from 30 pages