What step follows the coagulation of macroscopic particles before gravity dominates growth?
Answer
Reaching the meter barrier problem phase.
The growth of solid material in the primordial solar nebula proceeds sequentially. Initially, micron-sized dust grains stick together via gentle forces like coagulation, forming centimeter-sized aggregates, which eventually become macroscopic particles approaching a meter in size. Upon reaching approximately one meter in diameter, these objects encounter the meter barrier problem. This critical phase is defined by the powerful aerodynamic drag exerted by the dense gas in the protoplanetary disk, which forces the objects to rapidly lose orbital velocity and spiral inward toward the central proto-Sun, threatening their survival before they can grow large enough for self-gravity to take over.
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