What possibly triggered the gravitational collapse of the solar nebula cloud?
Answer
A shockwave from a nearby supernova
The initiation of the nebular process starts with the solar nebula, described as a vast, rotating cloud of interstellar gas and dust. The gravitational collapse that begins this entire sequence is generally thought to have been triggered by an external stimulus. Specifically, the text suggests that a shockwave originating from a nearby supernova event provided the necessary compression or impetus for the cloud's material to begin falling inward toward its center of mass due to self-gravity. This initial trigger is critical because it sets in motion the subsequent physics governed by the conservation of angular momentum.
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