What pre-existing feature, shaped by supersonic turbulence, allows gravitational instability to act upon density contrasts?
Answer
A complex, three-dimensional network of intersecting filaments.
Supersonic turbulence within the cloud material generates internal shock waves that weave a complex, three-dimensional scaffolding composed of intersecting filaments. This discovery implies that structure formation—the creation of these dense filamentary regions and subsequent cores—can occur before the cloud has cooled to the very lowest temperatures required for stable star formation. Gravitational instability, the ultimate cause of collapse, then acts upon these pre-existing density contrasts carved out by the turbulent motion, effectively creating deep gravitational potential wells into which matter readily flows.
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