Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2009-01-27
Rept.Prog.Phys.73:014901,2010
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Accepted by Reports on Progress in Physics
Scientific paper
10.1088/0034-4885/73/1/014901
The formation of compact objects like stars and black holes is strongly constrained by the requirement that nearly all of the initial angular momentum of the diffuse material from which they form must be removed or redistributed during the formation process. The mechanisms that may be involved and their implications are discussed for (1) low-mass stars, most of which probably form in binary or multiple systems; (2) massive stars, which typically form in clusters; and (3) supermassive black holes that form in galactic nuclei. It is suggested that in all cases, gravitational interactions with other stars or mass concentrations in a forming system play an important role in redistributing angular momentum and thereby enabling the formation of a compact object. If this is true, the formation of stars and black holes must be a more complex, dynamic, and chaotic process than in standard models. The gravitational interactions that redistribute angular momentum tend to couple the mass of a forming object to the mass of the system, and this may have important implications for mass ratios in binaries, the upper stellar IMF in clusters, and the masses of supermassive black holes in galaxies.
No associations
LandOfFree
Angular Momentum and the Formation of Stars and Black Holes does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Angular Momentum and the Formation of Stars and Black Holes, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Angular Momentum and the Formation of Stars and Black Holes will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-343831