The Temperature Gradient in the Accretion Disk Surrounding a Protostar

question 39

True/False

The temperature gradient in the accretion disk surrounding a protostar is due in part to the fact that material closer to the protostar has converted less of its kinetic energy into thermal energy compared to materials farther away.

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Definitions:

Density

A measure of mass per unit volume of a substance, influencing how materials interact, such as floating or sinking in water.

Slab Pull

A mechanism that contributes to plate tectonics, involving the subduction of oceanic plates pulling the trailing lithosphere into subduction zones.

Asthenosphere

The upper mantle's region directly beneath the lithosphere, characterized by high viscosity, mechanical weakness, and ductile deformation.

Oceanic Lithosphere

The rigid outer layer of the Earth under the ocean basins, composed of the crust and upper mantle that is specifically associated with oceanic regions.