A white dwarf is the dying ember of a star. The typical white dwarf has an atmosphere of hydrogen, or sometimes helium. The heavier elements, largely carbon and oxygen, settle into the core. Most of the hydrogen that wasn't converted to helium gets blown away during the red giant phase. White dwarfs remain constant in mass unless matter falls on them. Enough matter falling on a white dwarf can produce a nova or a supernova.
As the white dwarf cools, it is thought to crystallize, that is, it turns from a gaseous state to solid. After many billions of years, it will lose all its heat and become a black dwarf. The universe is too young to have formed any black dwarfs yet.
White dwarfs are incredibly dense, on the order of a thousand kilograms per cubic centimeter. in an active star, the fusion energy and gravitational contraction are in balance. When the fusion fires go out, the dead star contracts until it can contract no further. What stops the contraction of a white dwarf is called electron degeneracy. the matter is compressed until the electrons can be packed no tighter.
More massive stars collapse further. The next step is called neutron degeneracy. The gravitational pressure is so great that the electrons are forced to combine with the protons, leaving just neutrons - this is a neutron star. The minimum mass required to form a neutron star is called the Chandrasekhar limit, about 1.44 times the mass of the sun for a typical star.
The upper limit for a neutron star is not clear, but is thought to be somewhere between two and five solar masses. A denser form called a quark star has been hypothesized, but not established. The final step is a black hole. Once the final degeneracy pressure is exceeded, there is nothing to stop the collapse. When the density becomes so great that gravitational acceleration on the surface reaches the speed of light, the laws of physics can no longer be applied.
2006-06-22 17:52:47
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answer #1
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answered by injanier 7
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No, and neither became into Jupiter. using magnetic fields (nevertheless unknown for Pluto) all the planets and a number of the asteroids went with the aid of chemical differentiation so as that iron, nickel, and sulfur, the main worry-unfastened factors with the utmost particular gravities (no longer sulfur - i'm going to describe that later), settled to form the cores, consisting of Venus. the only reason that Venus has a magnetic container it incredibly is so small that it confusing to come across is its slow rotation cost, it incredibly is longer than its 300 and sixty 5 days. We nevertheless do no longer comprehend if Pluto has a magnetic container or no longer. that is extremely a possibility that . like Mars, it as quickly as had a liquid outer or totally liquid center, yet that would have thoroughly crystallized or in simple terms about totally crystallized over the years using fact of low mass and a lithosphere no longer thick adequate to insulate the middle from dropping warmth over billions of years. Pluto makes one retrograde rotation in approximately 6 and a million/4 days, so if there is molten iron in a liquid center, we can get to be certain if 6.23 days is quickly adequate rotatio to maintain a a magnetic dynamo or no longer, as long using fact the liquid magma has no longer crystallized thoroughly. The presence of 5% ssulfur interior the Earth's center lowers the melting and crystallization factors with increasing tension of an iron nickel alloy by potential of extra beneficial than one hundred levels Celsius this additionally potential that liquid iron will crystallize and funky with the aid of that is Curie ingredient temperature it incredibly is whilst the iron turns into magnetized in a particular course whilst a magnetic container is already cutting-edge
2017-01-02 04:53:24
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answer #2
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answered by ? 4
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mostly heavier elements, oxygen, nitrogen sometimes even metals
depends on how big the star was, which determines the graviational forces and how long they keep fusing atoms
sometimes it becomes neutrons which if big enough become black holes
2006-06-22 16:58:31
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answer #3
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answered by inquisiitor-paradoxical anwerer 1
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When all is said and done and our sun is truely dead, it is thought that it will be a large diamond.
2006-06-22 20:01:04
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answer #4
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answered by minuteblue 6
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