What role does the central star play in concluding the era of rapid planetary growth?
Answer
Its increasing radiation pressure and stellar wind blow away the remaining gas and fine dust
The stellar activity associated with a maturing central star imposes a hard deadline on the rapid growth phase of planetary construction. As the star evolves, it generates powerful stellar winds and significant radiation pressure. This outflow eventually disperses the residual gas and fine dust constituting the protoplanetary disk. Since this gas reservoir is the primary fuel source necessary for the rapid formation of massive gas giant envelopes via core accretion, its removal effectively halts further significant mass accumulation for all bodies that have not yet achieved their final size.
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