What structure forms around the protostar due to the conservation of angular momentum?
Answer
A rotating disk
As the protostar contracts, the surrounding gas and dust do not simply fall directly onto the center. Due to the fundamental physical principle known as the conservation of angular momentum, as the cloud shrinks, its rotational speed must increase. This increasing rotation causes the infalling material to flatten out into a discernible, rotating disk surrounding the central protostar. This rotating disk is significant because it serves as the reservoir from which the protostar continues to accrete mass, and it is also the region where future planets may eventually coalesce.
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