What is the name given to the early, contracting object formed as infall gas heats up?
Answer
Protostar
As the material from the surrounding nebula collapses inward due to overwhelming gravitational forces, the gravitational potential energy inherent in the infalling gas is transformed into kinetic energy, which manifests as heat. This initial, hot, contracting object is specifically termed a protostar. This phase precedes the true stellar phase and is characterized by continued contraction and heating. The distinction between this object and a true star hinges on the core conditions—specifically, whether the internal temperature and pressure are high enough to sustain the nuclear reactions that define a star.
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