Suppose a White Dwarf Is Gaining Mass Because of Accretion

question 103

Multiple Choice

Suppose a white dwarf is gaining mass because of accretion in a binary system.What happens if the mass someday reaches the 1.4-solar-mass limit?

• A)The white dwarf undergoes a catastrophic collapse,leading to a type of supernova that is somewhat different from that which occurs in a massive star but is comparable in energy.
• B)The white dwarf,which is made mostly of carbon,suddenly becomes much hotter in temperature and therefore is able to begin fusing the carbon.This turns the white dwarf back into a star supported against gravity by ordinary pressure.
• C)The white dwarf immediately collapses into a black hole,disappearing from view.
• D)A white dwarf can never gain enough mass to reach the limit because a strong stellar wind prevents the material from reaching it in the first place.

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