The initial stage of star formation is the collapse of a gravitationally unstable volume of gas within a molecular cloud. a Find the Jeans mass and radius for a molecular cloud at a temperature T = 10 K and number density n = Give your answers in solar masses and au, respectively. 106 cm-3. Assume the mean particle mass is uMH, where = 2.8. b Assuming the molecular gas follows the ideal gas law, calculate |dP/dr| Pe/ RJ (units [N m-³]) at the beginning of the collapse, where P. is an approximate value for the central pressure of the cloud. Assume that P = 0 at the edge of the molecular cloud, and the mass and radius are the values determined above. JAP/Ar| ~

Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Foundations and Connections
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Author:Katz, Debora M.
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Chapter19: Temperature, Thermal Expansion And Gas Laws
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The initial stage of star formation is the collapse of a gravitationally unstable volume of gas
within a molecular cloud.
a Find the Jeans mass and radius for a molecular cloud at a temperature T = 10 K and
number density n =
106 cm-3. Assume the mean particle mass is umH, where u
2.8.
Give your answers in solar masses and au, respectively.
b Assuming the molecular gas follows the ideal gas law, calculate |dP/dr| ~ JAP/Ar|
Pe/ RJ (units [N m-³]) at the beginning of the collapse, where Pe is an approximate
value for the central pressure of the cloud. Assume that P
molecular cloud, and the mass and radius are the values determined above.
0 at the edge of the
c Show that |dP/dr| is significantly smaller than GM,p/r. What can you interpret
about the core's dynamics from this result?
d Show that if the excess energy due to the change in gravitational potential energy
during the core's collapse is radiated away efficiently, and the collapse is therefore
isothermal, the contribution of dP/dr in C&O Equation 10.5 continues to decrease
relative to GM,P/r², meaning that dP/dr can be ignored once free-fall collapse begins.
(Note that this only applies while the gas is isothermal!)
Hint: examine the dependence of dP/dt, given the simplifying assumptions in a), and
GM,p/r² on r.
Transcribed Image Text:The initial stage of star formation is the collapse of a gravitationally unstable volume of gas within a molecular cloud. a Find the Jeans mass and radius for a molecular cloud at a temperature T = 10 K and number density n = 106 cm-3. Assume the mean particle mass is umH, where u 2.8. Give your answers in solar masses and au, respectively. b Assuming the molecular gas follows the ideal gas law, calculate |dP/dr| ~ JAP/Ar| Pe/ RJ (units [N m-³]) at the beginning of the collapse, where Pe is an approximate value for the central pressure of the cloud. Assume that P molecular cloud, and the mass and radius are the values determined above. 0 at the edge of the c Show that |dP/dr| is significantly smaller than GM,p/r. What can you interpret about the core's dynamics from this result? d Show that if the excess energy due to the change in gravitational potential energy during the core's collapse is radiated away efficiently, and the collapse is therefore isothermal, the contribution of dP/dr in C&O Equation 10.5 continues to decrease relative to GM,P/r², meaning that dP/dr can be ignored once free-fall collapse begins. (Note that this only applies while the gas is isothermal!) Hint: examine the dependence of dP/dt, given the simplifying assumptions in a), and GM,p/r² on r.
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