Thermodynamics and the Virial Theorem, Gravitational Collapse and the Virial Theorem: Insight from the Laws of Thermodynamics

摘要

Application of the virial theorem, when combined with results from the kinetic theoryof gases, has been linked to gravitational collapse when the mass of the resultingassembly is greater than the Jeans mass, MJ . While the arguments appear straightforward,the incorporation of temperature into these equations, using kinetic theory, resultsin a conflict with the laws of thermodynamics. Temperature must always be viewed asan intensive property. However, it is readily demonstrated that this condition is violatedwhen the gravitational collapse of a free gas is considered using these approaches.The result implies star formation cannot be based on the collapse of a self-gravitatinggaseous mass.