0

Why do galaxies over time become more refined, ordered and defined instead of more random and disordered?

Qmechanic
  • 201,751
Tony Emmerton
  • 9
  • 1
  • 3
    Possible duplicate of Shapes of galaxies – Joshuah Heath Jun 13 '17 at 01:21
  • I am not sure what "more refined, ordered and defined" means exactly but the second law of thermodynamics does not apply straightforwardly here because gravitational attraction provides an influx of energy, so the system is not relevantly closed. This influx feeds self-organizing accretion processes. The same accretion mechanism is behind the formation of the Solar system. – Conifold Jun 13 '17 at 04:14

1 Answers1

0

Because of gravity. Gravity introduces the possibility of local order, while globally disorder may increase. See about galactic evolution, an example of local order, in an otherwise fairly random universe, at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_formation_and_evolution. It's all about structure formation.

Something similar is true on what allows the order we see in planets, and then the order inherent in life. Gravity forms Suns, which radiate heat, which provides low entropy heat for structures to form.

Bob Bee
  • 13,996