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For pressureless homologous spherical collapse, let $\varphi$ be its cycloid parameter. The density contrast equation becomes ${\delta }_{\varphi \varphi }-\tan (\varphi /2){\delta }_{\varphi }-3\delta /(1+\cos \varphi )=0$. One solution is ${\delta }_g=\sin \varphi /(1+\cos \varphi {)}^2$. Reduction of order gives an independent solution that decays at collapse,For $ϵ=\pi -\varphi$, the integral is ${ϵ}^5/40+O({ϵ}^7)$, while ${\delta }_g\sim 4{ϵ}^{-3}$. Therefore ${\delta }_d\sim {ϵ}^2/10$. Since $R\sim R_0{ϵ}^2/4$, the displayed powers follow. The growing branch is unique up to scale and addition of the decaying branch; many mixed solutions grow, so it is not literally the only function with growth. Finite perturbations eventually leave the linear regime.

For small isentropic perturbations of a fixed-composition gas, linearizing its equation of state gives $p_1=(\partial p/\partial \rho {)}_s{\rho }_1=c_s^2{\rho }_1$. The adiabatic sound speed is evaluated at the uniform background, so it is spatially constant at this order. If fast heat exchange instead enforces constant temperature, use the isothermal sound speed consistently. A completely arbitrary entropy perturbation would require an additional thermodynamic variable.

The uniform static infinite medium requires the Jeans swindle: its background gravitational field is subtracted or externally balanced, and only the perturbation sources the Poisson equation for Newtonian gravity. Linearizing the continuity equation, Euler equation and gravitational equation then givesTaking one more time derivative of the first equation and substituting the other two yieldsA Fourier mode proportional to $e^{i(\mathbf{k}\cdot \mathbf{x}-\omega t)}$ therefore obeys the Jeans instability relationFor $k>k_J$, the mode oscillates as a sound wave. For $0<k<k_J$, $\omega =\pm i\sqrt{4\pi G{\rho }_0-c_s^2{k}^2}$ gives a growing and a decaying mode; the static Jeans growth-rate spectrum has no preferred finite fastest-growing wavelength in the infinite-medium approximation. The threshold $k=k_J$ is marginal at linear order. The Jeans length is ${\lambda }_J=2\pi /k_J=c_s\sqrt{\pi /(G{\rho }_0)}$. Defining the Jeans mass as a sphere whose diameter is this wavelength givesOther radius conventions alter its numerical coefficient; the mass scale compares self-gravity with pressure communication.

For the pressureless finite cloud, the shell theorem gives an edge acceleration $\ddot{r}=-GM/r^2$, with fixed enclosed $M=4\pi r_0^3{\rho }_0/3$. Multiplication by $\dot{r}$ and integration from rest givesThe negative root describes collapse. Substituting $r=r_0{\sin }^2\theta$ gives the free-fall time of a uniform sphereThe surface and inner shells reach the origin together in pressureless homologous spherical collapse; pressure, rotation or shell crossing would change this ideal solution.

Equating this time to the specified radius-based sound-crossing time $r_0/c_s$ gives $r_0=c_s\sqrt{3\pi /(32G{\rho }_0)}$. The resulting crossing-time cloud support mass isThis is the same dimensional mass scale as $M_J$, with a different coefficient because the adopted length and time criteria differ. In particular, $t_{\mathrm{ff}}=r_0/c_s$ is not the exact marginal dispersion-relation condition.

With the requested isotropic support approximation, replace $c_s$ by the Alfvén speed $v_A=B/\sqrt{{\mu }_0{\rho }_0}$. In the crossing-time convention the Magnetic Jeans mass isUsing the wavelength-based Jeans mass convention instead replaces $C_{\mathrm{cross}}$ by ${\pi }^{5/2}/6$. The scaling, rather than a convention-independent coefficient, is the shared prediction.

For a fixed cloud mass undergoing isothermal homologous contraction, $\rho /{\rho }_0=(r_0/r{)}^3$ and $c_s$ is constant. Its number of thermal Jeans masses therefore grows asA cloud initially close to the support threshold has $N_{J,0}$ of order one, so smaller pieces can subsequently become independently unstable: this is isothermal fragmentation.

For approximately isotropic contraction with magnetic flux freezing, $B{r}^2$ stays constant, so $B\propto {\rho }^{2/3}$. Hence $M_B\propto B^3/{\rho }^2$ stays constant andThis ideal magnetic support therefore does not create progressively more unstable masses in the way thermal isothermal support does. The same conclusion follows from the conserved mass-to-flux ratio. A magnetically subcritical cloud cannot initiate unrestricted cross-field collapse under ideal flux freezing alone; flux loss or initially supercritical conditions are needed. A real magnetic field also gives anisotropic support: motion and fragmentation along its field lines are not excluded by this scalar-speed estimate.

Write $H=\dot{R}/R$. A fluid element in the homologous spherical flow obeys $\dot{\mathbf{r}}=H\mathbf{r}$, so $\mathbf{r}/R$ remains constant. Also $\nabla \cdot {\mathbf{u}}_0=3H$. Along every element, the continuity equation therefore gives $D{\rho }_0/Dt=-3H{\rho }_0$. Every element starts with the same mass density, and hence has the same mass density at subsequent times:This proves preservation of uniformity, rather than assuming it when conserving the total mass.

By the shell theorem, only the mass interior to radius $r$ contributes to its gravitational acceleration. That mass is $4\pi {\rho }_0{r}^3/3$. The same result follows directly from the Poisson equation for Newtonian gravity: spherical symmetry gives $(r^2{\Phi }_r{)}_r=4\pi G{\rho }_0{r}^2$, and regularity at the centre sets the integration constant to zero. Hence ${\Phi }_r=4\pi G{\rho }_{0}r/3$ andThe material derivative of the background velocity is $(\dot{H}+H^2)\mathbf{r}=(\ddot{R}/R)\mathbf{r}$. There is no pressure force, and the momentum equation consequently reduces toMultiplication by $\dot{R}$ and integration, using collapse from rest, givesChoose the negative square root for contraction. Put $C^2=2K/R_0$ and $R=R_0{\cos }^2(\varphi /2)$. For $0<\varphi <\pi$, the energy integral then gives $\dot{R}=-C\tan (\varphi /2)$, while $dR/d\varphi =-R_0\sin \varphi /2$. Their ratio isIntegrating from the initial turning point proves the cycloid parametrization of pressureless homologous spherical collapse:It covers the entire contracting branch, with complete collapse at $\varphi =\pi$ and $t_c=\sqrt{3\pi /(32G{\rho }_{00})}$. At $R=0$ the uniform dust configuration is singular, so the smooth calculation is restricted to $t<t_c$.

Each Fourier mode among the comoving perturbations of a homologously collapsing cloud has its phase fixed on each fluid element. In fact, for $\mathbf{k}=\mathbf{q}/R$,Its physical wavelength contracts in proportion to $R$, while its wavelength in the comoving coordinate $\mathbf{r}/R$ stays fixed. This is the physical reason to use a time-dependent wavenumber; holding the physical wavenumber fixed would not follow the contracting pattern. Boundary effects are being excluded in this bulk Fourier mode calculation.

Let ${\rho }^{\prime }={\rho }_1(t)e^{i\mathbf{k}\cdot \mathbf{r}}$ and let the perturbed velocity and Newtonian gravitational potential have amplitudes ${\mathbf{u}}_1(t)$ and ${\Phi }_1(t)$. Linearizing the continuity equation, the uniform background eliminates ${\mathbf{u}}_1\cdot \nabla {\rho }_0$. The advected phase eliminates its own time derivative, leavingFor the density contrast $\delta ={\rho }_1/{\rho }_0$, use ${\dot{\rho }}_0=-3H{\rho }_0$ to obtain $\dot{\delta }=-i\mathbf{k}\cdot {\mathbf{u}}_1$. The linear momentum equation and Poisson equation for Newtonian gravity areDifferentiating the density contrast equation must include $\dot{\mathbf{k}}=-H\mathbf{k}$:Thus the compressive Fourier mode with $k\ne 0$ satisfiesThe pressureless approximation removes the usual acoustic restoring term of Jeans instability. A transverse velocity perturbation instead obeys ${\dot{\mathbf{u}}}_{1\perp }+H{\mathbf{u}}_{1\perp }=0$ and does not drive this density contrast.

Since $d/dt=(C/R)d/d\varphi$, the density contrast equation becomesFor a direct verification, put $s=\tan (\varphi /2)$. As $d/d\varphi =(1+s^2)d/(2ds)$, the first-derivative terms cancel, reducing the equation toThe function ${\delta }_g=s(1+s^2)/2$ has second derivative $3s$ and satisfies this equation. Transforming back gives the required growing branch:To establish what the other solution does, use reduction of order, not just the growth of this example. The coefficient of ${\delta }_{\varphi }$ is $d\log R/d\varphi$, so an independent solution is proportional to ${\delta }_g\int d\varphi /(R{\delta }_g^2)$. Choose the integration endpoint at complete collapse to select the decaying branch:For example, evaluating the integral with $a=\tan (s/2)$ gives integrand $4/[a^2(1+a^2{)}^2]$ and antiderivative $-4/a-6\arctan a-2a/(1+a^2)$. Its endpoint value gives the displayed expression. Its Wronskian with ${\delta }_g$ is $-(1+\cos \varphi {)}^{-1}$, so the two solutions are independent on $0<\varphi <\pi$.

For $ϵ=\pi -\varphi \to 0$, $R\sim R_0{ϵ}^2/4$, ${\delta }_g\sim 4{ϵ}^{-3}$ and the integral in ${\delta }_d$ is ${ϵ}^5/40+O({ϵ}^7)$. Consequently the two density modes of a collapsing pressureless sphere haveEquivalently, with $\tau =t_c-t$, the local powers are ${\tau }^{-1}$ and ${\tau }^{2/3}$. There is one independent growing branch: every solution is $A{\delta }_g+B{\delta }_d$, and only the branch with $A=0$ decays at collapse. The uniqueness is up to normalization and addition of the decaying solution; it does not mean that only one literal function can grow. A fixed nonzero initial perturbation will eventually violate $|\delta |\ll 1$, so the divergent linear result is not a nonlinear solution through collapse.