What mass threshold triggers runaway fusion in a Type Ia supernova?
Answer
Chandrasekhar limit (1.44 solar masses)
A Type Ia supernova occurs specifically when a white dwarf star, residing in a binary system, accretes mass from its companion star until it critically surpasses the Chandrasekhar limit, which is quantified in the context as approximately $1.44$ solar masses. Once this mass threshold is breached, the internal pressure can no longer support the star against gravity, initiating a runaway thermonuclear fusion reaction throughout its core. This process culminates in the complete annihilation of the white dwarf, resulting in an explosion far more powerful than a classical nova, which merely involves surface fusion on an intact white dwarf.
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