On 07/08/2012 6:59 PM, Sam Wormley wrote:
On 8/7/12 4:40 PM, Yousuf Khan wrote:
Theory suggests that stars can't form that are more massive than 150
solar masses. However, stars as massive as 300 solar masses have been
found in some star forming regions of the Large Magellanic Cloud. Was
star forming theory wrong, or is there another explanation for why these
stars are so much more massive?

Astronomers crack mystery of the "monster stars" - Astronomy Magazine
http://www.astronomy.com/~/link.aspx...6-b752cce7f98c



“Although extremely complicated physics is involved when two very
massive stars collide, we still find it quite convincing that this
explains the monster stars seen in the Tarantula,” Banerjee concluded.

Yup, it's not just their gravity you have to take into account, you also
have to factor in their repulsive forces from stellar winds, and light
pressure prior to collision. Then once they have made initial contact,
you would need to factor in the repulsion from their convective zones
against each other, and then their radiative zones, and finally their
cores would not be joining together without a big spiralling fight either.

Yousuf Khan