What is the estimated time for a Sun-mass white dwarf to cool to $10,000 ext{ K}$?
Answer
10 billion years
Once a white dwarf has formed—a hot, degenerate core left behind after shedding its outer layers—it no longer generates energy through fusion but shines purely from stored thermal energy. Because these objects are incredibly dense, they have low opacity but high thermal conductivity, leading to near-isothermal interiors that radiate heat slowly due to their small surface area. For a white dwarf comparable in mass to the Sun, the time required for this slow radiation process to cool its surface temperature down to approximately $10,000 ext{ K}$ is estimated to be roughly 10 billion years.
Related Questions
What physically supports a white dwarf against gravitational collapse?What is the initial mass range for stars that evolve into white dwarfs?How long is the main sequence phase for a star like our Sun?What is the approximate main sequence lifetime of a $2.47 M_{ ext{odot}}$ star?What occurs immediately after a solar-mass star exhausts its core hydrogen fuel?For stars up to $8 M_{ ext{odot}}$, what is the fate of the resulting carbon core material?What is the short-lived structure formed by a swollen star shedding its expanded outer envelope?How long does the planetary nebula phase last for Sun-like stars?What is the estimated time for a Sun-mass white dwarf to cool to $10,000 ext{ K}$?What is the estimated duration required for a white dwarf to become a theoretical black dwarf?