Star Formation

A set of vocabulary flashcards related to the star formation process, covering key terms and concepts presented in the lecture.

Interstellar Matter

Raw material for star formation, including gas and dust in dark molecular clouds.

Dark Molecular Clouds

Regions of space with low temperatures around 10 K and greater than 1000 solar masses that serve as star formation sites.

Triggering Agent

Events that initiate star formation, such as cloud collisions, shock waves from nearby stars, or passing through a galactic spiral arm.

Gravitational Collapse

Process whereby regions of high density and low temperature collapse under their own gravity to form stars.

Quasi-Hydrostatic Gravitational Contraction

Stage in stellar evolution where increased pressure slows down the collapse of a protostar.

Solar-mass protostar

A protostar that has a mass similar to that of our Sun, typically around 100,000 years old with specific radius and temperature characteristics.

Hydrogen Fusion

Nuclear reaction that ignites in the core of a star once the temperature reaches approximately 10 million Kelvin.

Zero-Age-Main-Sequence (ZAMS)

The point in a star's life cycle when it first begins hydrogen fusion and becomes a main-sequence star.

Surface Temperature (K)

The temperature of a star's surface, which affects its luminosity and spectral classification.

Luminosity (solar units)

The measure of star brightness, expressed in terms of solar luminosity for comparison.