'White' dwarf |
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A star that once burned on the main sequence with a mass between
1.4 (the Chandrasekhar limit)
and 0.07 solar masses. In this last stage of a star's 'life'
nuclear fuel has been exhausted. The dying star radiates residual
heat only for many millions of years. A featureless white dwarf has about the radius of the Earth with a density of some 106 kg/m3. As they age they radiate longer wavelengths, becoming yellow, red and finally a black star remnant. The brighter ones (the first to be found) are white - hence the name. |