What criterion is met when gravity overcomes internal pressure to start collapse?
Answer
Jeans instability
The transition from a static cloud core to a collapsing mass requires gravity's inward pull to defeat the outward push generated by the random thermal motions of the gas particles within the core. When a core achieves a critical density where this gravitational dominance is established, it meets the established criteria known as Jeans instability. This instability signals the moment that contraction begins in earnest, transitioning the material from a loosely structured core to a dynamic collapsing object destined to form a star.
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