An accretion disk forms around a collapsing protostar because infalling material must conserve

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

As the protostar collapses, its radius decreases and its rotation accelerates due to conservation of angular momentum. This causes a disk of gas and dust to form around the protostar, which eventually accretes onto the star, providing the material necessary for it to grow. Therefore, choice D, angular momentum, is the best answer as infalling material must conserve this in order to form an accretion disk.

An Accretion Disk Forms Around a Collapsing Protostar Because Infalling