According to the Jeans criterion, what condition mandates that a region of gas will begin gravitational collapse?
Answer
If its mass exceeds the Jeans mass for its given temperature and density.
The Jeans criterion states that gravitational collapse starts locally if a region's mass surpasses the critical Jeans mass, meaning the gravitational pull is too strong for the existing pressure to resist, or if the size falls below the Jeans length.
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