What flattened structure forms around a central protostar due to the conservation of angular momentum?

Answer

Accretion disk

As material flows inward during star formation, it brings its initial angular momentum with it. Since the central object is collapsing rapidly, the conservation of angular momentum dictates that the infalling gas cannot fall straight in; instead, the rotational forces cause the material to flatten out perpendicular to the direction of collapse, forming a disk shape. This structure, known as the accretion disk, serves the crucial physical function of funneling material onto the growing protostar while simultaneously managing the excess angular momentum through internal shearing and orbiting motions. High-resolution observations, particularly those utilizing sub-millimeter interferometry like ALMA, can directly image these warm, swirling structures orbiting the central object, confirming their presence as necessary components of the accretion process and prerequisites for planet formation.

What flattened structure forms around a central protostar due to the conservation of angular momentum?

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