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  2. Mass transfer - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_transfer

    In astrophysics, mass transfer is the process by which matter gravitationally bound to a body, usually a star, fills its Roche lobe and becomes gravitationally bound to a second body, usually a compact object (white dwarf, neutron star or black hole), and is eventually accreted onto it.

  3. Accretion disk - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accretion_disk

    The most prominent accretion disks are those of active galactic nuclei and of quasars, which are thought to be massive black holes at the center of galaxies. As matter enters the accretion disc, it follows a trajectory called a tendex line, which describes an inward spiral. This is because particles rub and bounce against each other in a ...

  4. Accretion (astrophysics) - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accretion_(astrophysics)

    In astrophysics, accretion is the accumulation of particles into a massive object by gravitationally attracting more matter, typically gaseous matter, into an accretion disk. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Most astronomical objects , such as galaxies , stars , and planets , are formed by accretion processes.

  5. Protoplanetary disk - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protoplanetary_disk

    It is now a T Tauri star. Accretion of gas onto the star continues for another 10 million years, [6] before the disk disappears, perhaps being blown away by the young star's stellar wind, or perhaps simply ceasing to emit radiation after accretion has ended. The oldest protoplanetary disk yet discovered is 25 million years old.

  6. Planetary differentiation - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_differentiation

    The layers of the Earth, a differentiated planetary body. In planetary science, planetary differentiation is the process by which the chemical elements of a planetary body accumulate in different areas of that body, due to their physical or chemical behavior (e.g. density and chemical affinities).

  7. Star formation - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_formation

    Of these, perhaps the most prominent is the theory of competitive accretion, which suggests that massive protostars are "seeded" by low-mass protostars which compete with other protostars to draw in matter from the entire parent molecular cloud, instead of simply from a small local region. [63] [64]

  8. Pebble accretion - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble_accretion

    Pebble accretion is the accumulation of particles, ranging from centimeters up to meters in diameter, into planetesimals in a protoplanetary disk that is enhanced by aerodynamic drag from the gas present in the disk. This drag reduces the relative velocity of pebbles as they pass by larger bodies, preventing some from escaping the body's gravity.

  9. Protostar - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protostar

    Exactly how material in the disk spirals inward onto the protostar is not yet understood, despite a great deal of theoretical effort. This problem is illustrative of the larger issue of accretion disk theory, which plays a role in much of astrophysics. HBC 1 is a young pre-main-sequence star. [11]