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White dwarfs
Intermediate
Remnants supported by electron degeneracy pressure.
Remnant cores of Sun-like stars: Earth-sized, 10⁹ kg/m³, supported by electron degeneracy pressure. They cool slowly over billions of years.
Sirius B.
Mass limited to 1.4 solar masses.
In more detail
White dwarfs are the remnants of low-mass stars, supported by electron degeneracy pressure. They are about the size of Earth but have masses comparable to the Sun.
Real-world uses
- White dwarfs cool slowly over billions of years, serving as cosmic clocks.
- Type Ia supernovae occur in white dwarf binaries.
- Astronomers study white dwarfs to measure the ages of star clusters and the history of the Milky Way.
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Frequently asked questions
How dense is a white dwarf?
Typically about a million times denser than water.
Will the Sun become a white dwarf?
Yes, after losing its outer layers as a planetary nebula.
Will the Sun become a white dwarf?
Yes, after its outer layers are shed in a planetary nebula, the core will remain as a white dwarf.
Related topics in Particle Physics & Cosmology
Hertzsprung–Russell diagram · Stellar nucleosynthesis · Supernovae · Chandrasekhar limit · Neutron stars and pulsars · Black holes in astrophysics