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When fusion ignites in a white dwarf there is, at first, no increase in volume to separate the fusing nuclei and the result is a runaway nuclear reaction ending in a massive explosion with two possible outcomes. For lower mass white dwarfs, the explosion will drive away the surrounding gasses, producing a nova. If, however, the addition of the gas pushes the white dwarf above 1.38 solar masses, the result will be a much more powerful explosion called a type Ia supernova, which will destroy the white dwarf.
What else can I help you with?
Does fusion occur in white dwarf stars?
No. A white dwarf is the remnant of a star in which fusion as stopped.
Does fusion occur in a black dwarf?
No. Fusion has long since ceased by the time a stellar remnant becomes a black dwarf.
What happens to a star when the outward force of fusion is less than the inward force?
the star collapses in on itself, and usually when the fusion stops it is in the last stages of its life as a giant or supergiant and forms a white dwarf made of the carbon left over from the second stage of helium to carbon fusion from the core of the star that takes place after the hydrogen to helium fusion. after the white dwarf is formed it will eventually cool off into a black dwarf which is basically a carbon corpse of a star
What happens with the white dwarf in a type 1a supernova?
The white dwarf collapses under its own gravity. This starts very rapid nuclear fusion reactions. It explodes as a supernova and "stuff" is scattered into space. Essentially nothing of the white dwarf, as an object, remains.
Will the sun become a brown dwarf?
No. A brown dwarf is a failed star, one that is not massive enough to start nuclear fusion. The sun is well above the threshold of fusion. When it dies it will become a white dwarf.
Is a white dwarf capable of fusing elements?
Not normally. A white dwarf is the remnant of a star in which fusion has stopped. If, however, a white dwarf has a close binary companion star it can accrete gas from that companion. If enough gas collects on the white dwarf it can ignite a complex reaction change between the hydrogen gas and the carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen of the surface. Unlike the steady fusion in a main sequence star, the fusion on a white dwarf is a runaway reaction that results in a massive explosion called a nova, which drives away the accreted gas and ends fusion. If the white dwarf is massive enough the accretion of gas can trigger carbon fusion inside the white dwarf, resulting in an even larger explosion called a type Ia supernova, which destroys the white dwarf.
What happens what a star has lost all of its hydrogen?
When a star exhausts its hydrogen fuel, it can no longer sustain the nuclear fusion processes that power it. As a result, the core contracts and heats up, eventually leading to the fusion of heavier elements like helium. This causes the outer layers of the star to expand, transforming it into a red giant. Eventually, the star may shed its outer layers, resulting in a planetary nebula, while the core remains as a white dwarf.
What is the difference between a brown dwarf and a protostar?
A protostar is a star the is developing as is on the way to starting nuclear fusion. A brown dwarf is a failed star, one that failed to gather enough mass to start fusion.
What can cause a white dwarf to reignite?
The most likely way to reignite fusion in a white dwarf is for gas from a close binary companion to be pulled to it by gravity. As the gas collects the white dwarf heats up and may either ignite fusion in the hydrogen or in the carbon of the white dwarf itself.
Is it necessary for a star to carry out fusion reaction?
Well, white dwarf, brown dwarf, and neutron stars don't; but they are "dead" stars.
What does a red dwarf sun burn?
Like all main sequence stars, a red dwarf is powered by the fusion of hydrogen into helium.
Which star is the hottest red dwarf or white dwarf?
A white dwarf is the remnant of a star that has lost most of it mass. When it is formed it is very hot indeed but, as it now has insufficient mas to carry on fusion, it begins to cool down. For objects as massive as stars, even dwarfs, this cooling down takes a long time but eventually a white dwarf will cool down completely and become a black dwarf. Red dwarfs are never very hot as they have barely sufficient mass to effect fusion so don't do it very vigorously. However the fact that they go about their fusion slowly means they can maintain their meager temperatures for a long long time indeed. Some red dwarfs are older than the calculated age of the universe. (which is an interesting paradox) a nova What this person^^^^^ is really trying to say is that : The hottest star is white dwarf.
