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White dwarfs are prevented from collapsing further by electron degeneracy pressure. If the mass of a stellar remnant exceeds the Chandrasekhar limit, about 1.4 solar masses, gravity will overcome this pressure and form a much smaller and denser neutron star. Further collapse in a neutron star is prevented by neutron degeneracy pressure up until the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit of about 3 solar masses, at which point gravity causes a complete collapse, forming a black hole.

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What is degenerate matter?

Degenerate matter is extremely dense matter with characteristics governed by quantum mechanics. One of the notable traits is that temperature and pressure are independent of one another. Two forms of matter known to exist are electron degenerate matter, which comprises white dwarfs, and neutron degenerate matter, which comprises neutron stars.


Why do white dwarfs not continue to contract as they cool?

White dwarfs do not continue to contract as they cool because of electron degeneracy pressure, a quantum mechanical effect that resists further compression. As they cool, the electrons occupy lower energy levels, resulting in a decrease in pressure and temperature, causing the white dwarf to gradually fade into a black dwarf.


What keeps white dwarf from collapsing under its own weight?

A white dwarf star, as well as any other stable variety of star,is held together by the pressure popularly known as "gravity".In the opposite direction, white dwarf stars are kept from collapsing completely by degeneracy pressure. Specifically, for white dwarf stars, it's electron degeneracy pressure, which arises from the fact that electrons are fermions and cannot all occupy the same energy state. For higher mass stars, the force of gravity is able to overcome this and push all the electrons into the ground state, and the star is supported by a different kind of degeneracy ... neutron degeneracy, which is the same thing but with neutrons ... and you get a neutron star. At even higher masses, even that isn't sufficient and the star collapses all the way into a black hole.


What do white dwarfs and neutron stars have in common?

Both white dwarfs and neutron stars are extremely dense remnants of the collapsed cores of dead stars.


What is a small hot very dense star?

Both white dwarfs and neutron stars match the description. Neutron stars are smaller, hotter, and denser.

Related Questions

Is this true or false brown dwarfs white dwarfs and neutron stars are all kept from collapsing by degeneracy pressure?

True. Brown dwarfs, white dwarfs, and neutron stars are all supported against collapse by degeneracy pressure, which is a quantum mechanical effect that arises when particles are packed densely together and cannot occupy the same quantum state. This pressure prevents further gravitational collapse and supports the star against its own gravity.


What is degenerate matter?

Degenerate matter is extremely dense matter with characteristics governed by quantum mechanics. One of the notable traits is that temperature and pressure are independent of one another. Two forms of matter known to exist are electron degenerate matter, which comprises white dwarfs, and neutron degenerate matter, which comprises neutron stars.


Why do white dwarfs not continue to contract as they cool?

White dwarfs do not continue to contract as they cool because of electron degeneracy pressure, a quantum mechanical effect that resists further compression. As they cool, the electrons occupy lower energy levels, resulting in a decrease in pressure and temperature, causing the white dwarf to gradually fade into a black dwarf.


In what ways are neutron stars and white dwarfs similar?

Neutron stars and white dwarfs are both remnants of dead stars, but neutron stars are much denser and have stronger gravitational forces compared to white dwarfs. Both objects are composed mostly of degenerate matter, but neutron stars are made up of neutrons while white dwarfs are made up of electrons.


What factors will cause the degeneracy pressure within an object to increase?

Oh, that's a fantastic question, my friend. When the electrons in an object get really close together, like in a tightly packed group at a party, they start to push against each other more and more, creating strong degeneracy pressure. This can happen when the object gets denser, like when you add more guests to that party, causing the pressure to increase and keep everything in balance.Nature truly is a wonderful thing, don't you think?


Why don't white dwarfs contract as they cool?

By the time a star reaches the white dwarf stage, it's already about as compact as it's possible for ordinary matter to get... the size is maintained by electron degeneracy pressure, which is a fancy way of saying "the atoms are already touching, contracting any more would mean forcing the electrons into the nucleus."


What keeps white dwarf from collapsing under its own weight?

A white dwarf star, as well as any other stable variety of star,is held together by the pressure popularly known as "gravity".In the opposite direction, white dwarf stars are kept from collapsing completely by degeneracy pressure. Specifically, for white dwarf stars, it's electron degeneracy pressure, which arises from the fact that electrons are fermions and cannot all occupy the same energy state. For higher mass stars, the force of gravity is able to overcome this and push all the electrons into the ground state, and the star is supported by a different kind of degeneracy ... neutron degeneracy, which is the same thing but with neutrons ... and you get a neutron star. At even higher masses, even that isn't sufficient and the star collapses all the way into a black hole.


What do white dwarfs and neutron stars have in common?

Both white dwarfs and neutron stars are extremely dense remnants of the collapsed cores of dead stars.


What has the author Dongsu Kyu written?

Dongsu Kyu has written: 'Neutron stars and white dwarfs in galactic halos?' -- subject(s): White dwarfs, Neutron stars


What is the diffrance between stars that become white dwarfs and stars that become neutron stars?

Stars that become white dwarfs die but become black holes . Neutron stars are born from a Super Nova that stored its energy and became a neutron star.


How do white dwarfs form and what are the key processes involved in their formation?

White dwarfs form from the remnants of low to medium mass stars after they have exhausted their nuclear fuel. During this process, the star sheds its outer layers, leaving behind a dense core composed mostly of carbon and oxygen. The key processes involved in the formation of white dwarfs include nuclear fusion, gravitational collapse, and electron degeneracy pressure.


What stars have the highest densities?

Black holes, neutron stars, and the white dwarfs