självgravitationen

Självgravitationen refers to the gravitational self-attraction of a mass. It is the force exerted by an object on itself, pulling all of its constituent parts towards its center of mass. This concept is fundamental to understanding how celestial bodies form and maintain their structure.

Every particle with mass attracts every other particle with mass. In the case of självgravitationen, an object's own mass is the source of this attraction. For large objects like stars and planets, this self-gravitational force is significant and is responsible for holding them together, preventing them from dispersing. Without självgravitationen, these bodies would not have formed in the first place from the diffuse gas and dust clouds that existed in the early universe.

The strength of självgravitationen depends directly on the mass of the object. More massive objects exert a stronger gravitational pull on themselves. This force is also responsible for phenomena such as hydrostatic equilibrium, where the outward pressure from the object's internal processes balances the inward pull of its own gravity. This balance is crucial for the stability of stars and planets.

In astrophysics, självgravitationen is a key factor in processes like gravitational collapse, which leads to the formation of stars and black holes. It also plays a role in the evolution of galaxies and other cosmic structures. The study of självgravitationen is essential for comprehending the dynamics and development of the universe on both small and large scales.