How Does Gravity Influence Entropy in the Formation of Proto-Stars?

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Gravity plays a crucial role in the formation of proto-stars by causing gas clouds to coalesce, leading to a decrease in entropy locally. However, this process results in the emission of heat and the expansion of the surrounding proto-stellar disc, contributing to an overall increase in entropy globally. The discussion highlights that while proto-stars may have lower entropy than their parent gas clouds, the energy dynamics during collapse, including heat radiation, must be considered. Additionally, the analogy of rock fragments forming a meteorite suggests that similar principles apply, where the resulting solid body would also be hotter than its initial components. Overall, the interplay of gravity, heat production, and energy conservation is essential in understanding entropy changes during star formation.
Islam Hassan
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If gravity leads, for example to a gas cloud gradually coalescing into a proto-star, does this proto-star not have less entropy than the gas cloud that engendered it? If yes, then in what sense is overall entropy increased, in what way can we say that entropy globally has been increased via the collapse of the gas cloud into a proto-star?IH
 
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Islam Hassan said:
in what way can we say that entropy globally has been increased via the collapse of the gas cloud into a proto-star?

heat production
 
So it would require more information to describe the motion of a proto-star's tightly-packed constituent atoms than than the random gaseous diffusion of atoms in a gas cloud? Seems counter-intuitive, which doesn't mean it's wrong though...IH
 
Islam Hassan said:
So it would require more information to describe the motion of a proto-star's tightly-packed constituent atoms than than the random gaseous diffusion of atoms in a gas cloud?

It mainly requires not to consider the resulting proto-star only but also the emission of heat radiation (to ensure conservation of energy) and the expansion of the outer region of the proto-stellar disc (to ensure conservation of angular momentum) during the collapse.
 
Ok, thanks DrS.

What if we consider instead rock fragments drifting in orbit and collapsing into one solid meteorite? No significant radiation, no disk. This meteorite would likewise have to be much hotter than its original constituents?IH
 
Islam Hassan said:
This meteorite would likewise have to be much hotter than its original constituents?

This or significant heat emission (within a sufficiently long period of time).
 
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Ok, thanx...
 

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