What physical law dictates the increasing spin rate during cloud shrinkage?
Answer
Conservation of angular momentum
As a cloud fragment begins to contract under gravity, it retains any initial rotational energy it possessed, whether inherited from galactic motion or internal turbulence. The conservation of angular momentum mandates that as the radius of the rotating mass decreases, its rotational speed must increase proportionally to keep the angular momentum constant. This effect is analogous to a figure skater pulling their arms inward to spin faster. This acceleration of spin is crucial because it drives the subsequent flattening of the structure away from the axis of rotation.
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