Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction

Kelvin–Helmholtz contraction

(helm -holts) See Kelvin–Helmholtz timescale.

Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction

[′kel·vən ′helm‚hōlts kən‚trak·shən] (astrophysics) A contraction of a star once it is formed and before it is hot enough to ignite its hydrogen; the contraction converts gravitational potential energy into heat, some of which is radiated, with the remainder used to raise the internal temperature of the star.