When parts of a gas cloud collapse, the material first tends to form clumps in areas where the density is higher than in surrounding regions. This process is influenced by gravity, which pulls the gas and dust together. As the gas cloud contracts, it can become denser in certain areas due to initial fluctuations in density, turbulence, or interactions with other nearby clouds or regions.
As the gas continues to collapse under its own gravity, these dense regions can fragment further, leading to the formation of clumps or cores. These clumps can eventually become stellar nurseries where new stars form. The formation of these clumps is typically associated with processes such as gravitational instabilities and shock waves that arise from various external factors, like supernova explosions or collisions with other gas clouds, that perturb the gas cloud and initiate the collapse.
In summary, clumps form in the densest regions of a gas cloud during the collapse process, driven by gravitational attraction and influenced by the cloud's internal conditions and external influences.
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