What two opposing forces are fundamentally engaged in a tug-of-war governing the star formation rate?
Answer
Inward pull of gravity versus outward push of various pressures
The physics hinges on gravity attempting to compress matter inward versus the outward push provided by resisting pressures like thermal and magnetic forces.
Related Questions
What is the fundamental raw material required for a galaxy to manufacture new stars?What two opposing forces are fundamentally engaged in a tug-of-war governing the star formation rate?What concept dictates the minimum mass and size a gas cloud must possess to overcome pressure and begin gravitational collapse?What dictates the *efficiency* of turning supplied gas into stars at the scale of individual Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs)?How does turbulence simultaneously affect star formation within the interstellar medium?When a galaxy moves into a dense cluster, what mechanism physically removes its cold gas reservoir, leading to quenching?Compared to smaller, actively growing galaxies, what trend is observed for more massive galaxies regarding their star formation rate?How do supernovae primarily act as a negative feedback mechanism on star formation?What role do metals (elements heavier than hydrogen and helium) play in the star formation process?What empirical law relates the observed surface density of star formation ($\Sigma_{SFR}$) to the surface density of cold gas ($\Sigma_{gas}$) in a galaxy disk?