What happens to gas clouds when they slow down in the denser regions formed by spiral arms?
Answer
They are compressed, heated, and collapse to form new stars.
When gas clouds encounter the denser regions associated with the spiral arms—which function as density waves—they effectively slow down relative to the wave structure. This transient slowing down leads to compression within the gas cloud. This physical compression, in turn, causes the material to heat up. Ultimately, if the compression is sufficient, the cloud will collapse under its own gravity. This sequence—slowing down, compression, heating, and collapse—is the direct mechanism through which new stars are actively formed within the spiral arms of the galaxy.
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