What eventually halts the gravitational collapse of an interstellar gas cloud that forms an object that is not massive enough to become a star?
A)the central object becoming hot enough to sustain nuclear fusion in its core
B)A critical fraction of the gas has been driven further into space.
C)the crowding of electrons in the core
D)Nothing; all collapsing gas clouds become black holes.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The crowding of electrons in the core, known as electron degeneracy pressure, halts the gravitational collapse of an interstellar gas cloud forming an object not massive enough to become a star, such as a brown dwarf. This quantum mechanical pressure arises from the Pauli exclusion principle, which prevents two electrons from occupying the same quantum state, providing a pressure that supports the object against further collapse.

What Eventually Halts the Gravitational Collapse of an Interstellar Gas