Suppose That a White Dwarf Is Gaining Mass Through Accretion

question 11

Multiple Choice

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

• A) The white dwarf will explode completely as a white dwarf supernova.
• B) The white dwarf will collapse in size, becoming a neutron star.
• C) The white dwarf will undergo a nova explosion.
• D) The white dwarf will collapse to become a black hole.

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