What process results from a collapsing core retaining angular momentum after initial resistance is partially overcome?
Answer
Formation of bipolar outflows channeling material along the poles.
When a dense core initiates collapse but still possesses substantial amounts of angular momentum and magnetic flux, it cannot contract entirely into a single point. Instead of uniform collapse, the system channels excess angular momentum and energy away from the immediate central region. This mechanism manifests as bipolar outflows, where material is ejected rapidly along the rotational poles. These outflows are observational evidence that the rotational resistance was not entirely overcome during the initial phase, forcing the excess momentum to be released perpendicular to the developing disk structure around the forming protostar.
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