All Questions
Tagged with white-dwarf degenerate-matter
9 questions
5
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1
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663
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How does the Chandrasekhar limit relate to the ignition of carbon in white dwarf stars?
Why carbon in white dwarfs ignites (deflagrate, detonate) at the Chandrasekhar limit? The limit relates stability of the star made of degenerate electron Fermi gas to the white dwarf mass without a ...
- 1,074
3
votes
1
answer
170
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After a Type Ia supernova explosion, what becomes of the degenerate matter?
A white dwarf below 1.44 solar mass in a binary system may accrete mass from its companion. If its core reaches the temperature for carbon fusion during this process, the white dwarf may reignite in a ...
- 133
8
votes
1
answer
1k
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Are white dwarfs made of carbon or electron degenerate matter?
I know that white dwarfs are composed primarily of carbon but are supported by electron degeneracy pressure. Is the electron degeneracy pressure produced by carbon atoms, or is the core of the white ...
- 270
12
votes
2
answers
237
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Hypothetical upper and lower bounds for Chandrasekhar limit based on composition?
Disclaimer: I'm going to be using the term "white dwarf" to refer to any spherical celestial body made of electron degenerate matter. If I had a better term, I would use it.
The ...
- 1,768
1
vote
1
answer
204
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White Dwarf/Degenerate Gas Behaviour
just want to try to clarify a few things about the nature of White Dwarfs and degenerate gases.
So if a white dwarf is help up by an electron degenerate gas, the electrons are unable to lose energy ...
- 448
1
vote
1
answer
755
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What is the condition for the number density of a gas to be ultra-relativistic or non-relativistic and degenerate or ideal
What is the condition for the number density ($n$) of a gas to be ultra-relativistic or non-relativistic and degenerate or ideal?
I found problems in this subject when I was reading about White-...
- 493
6
votes
1
answer
1k
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White Dwarf and Degenerate Matter
How do we know degenerate matter exists on white dwarfs? Is it purely hypothetical or have we observed it before? Have we ever created a form of degenerate matter on earth?
- 61
9
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2
answers
2k
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Are white dwarf stars supported by proton degeneracy as well?
In general, fermions form a degenerate gas under high density or extremely low temperature. It's clear that white dwarf stars are supported by electron degeneracy pressure. However, there are still a ...
- 8,196
8
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2
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Why does the Chandrasekhar limit affect white dwarfs differently?
The Chandrasekhar limit is the maximum mass of a stable white dwarf star. Beyond this, a carbon-oxygen white dwarf will typically explode in a type 1a supernova, due to the nuclear reactions at those ...
- 8,196