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Retrieving "Accretion" from the archives

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  1. Cloud

    Linked via "accretion"

    A cloud is a visible mass of condensed water vapor(—consisting of minute liquid water droplets, frozen crystals of ice, or both—suspended in the atmosphere or in an extraterrestrial atmosphere. Clouds are fundamental components of the Earth's hydrological cycle and influence planetary energy balance through their interaction with solar and [terrestrial radiation](/entries/terrestr…

  2. Earth

    Linked via "accretion"

    Formation and Early History
    Earth formed through the process of accretion from the solar nebula, alongside the other planets. Early in its history, intense bombardment likely led to the differentiation of its interior into a core, mantle, and crust. The planet's early atmosphere was dominated by volcanic outgassing, lacking free oxygen.
    A defining event in early Earth history was the hypothesized "Giant Impact," where a Mars-sized protoplanet, often named Theia, collided with the proto-Earth. This impact ejected vast amounts of material that subs…

  3. Geological History

    Linked via "accretion"

    Early Accretion and the Hadean Eon
    The initial phase, termed the Hadean Eon (approximately $4.54$ to $4.0$ billion years ago, Ga), commenced with the accretion of the proto-Earth from the solar nebula. Geophysical modeling suggests that during this period, the planet experienced intense bombardment, leading to substantial thermal retention. A defining, though theoretical, feature of the Hadean is the "[Magmatic Ocean Phase](/entries/magmat…

  4. Planetary Differentiation Processes

    Linked via "accretion"

    The initiation of significant planetary differentiation requires sufficient internal energy to overcome the viscosity of solidifying materials. Primary energy sources include accretionary heating (the kinetic energy of impacts), radiogenic heating from the decay of short-lived radionuclides (such as Aluminum-26, although this source is now largely discounted for bodies formed after the initial [solar nebula](/entries/so…

  5. Pulsar

    Linked via "accretion"

    | Magnetars | $2 \text{ s} - 12 \text{ s}$ | $\ge 10^{14} \text{ T}$ | Hard X-ray and Gamma-ray bursts |
    Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are thought to be "recycled" through accretion in a binary system, where infalling matter spins the star back up to high rotation rates before the companion is evaporated or ejected.
    Anomalous Field Coupling