How does the process of gravitational collapse affect the structure of the initial large cloud?
Answer
It fragments into smaller, denser clumps.
The collapse is not uniform; as density increases in localized areas, the Jeans Mass for those sub-regions drops, causing them to become unstable and contract independently, leading to fragmentation.
Related Questions
What are interstellar clouds called when they are cold enough to form molecules?What primary process must gravity overcome for cloud collapse to begin?Which force is identified as the most significant non-thermal pressure source resisting collapse in large, cold clouds?What physical condition mathematically describes whether a cloud will collapse under its own weight?If a region within a cloud possesses a mass greater than its Jeans Mass ($M_J$), what is the guaranteed result?How does cooling affect the Jeans Mass ($M_J$) relationship within a molecular cloud?What usually triggers the initial instability in a cloud that might otherwise be stable overall?What is the primary role of external events like colliding molecular clouds?How does the process of gravitational collapse affect the structure of the initial large cloud?What typical outcome results from the hierarchical fragmentation of collapsing cores?