What mechanism supports a white dwarf core against further collapse after a low-to-intermediate mass star dies?
Answer
Electron degeneracy pressure
A white dwarf is prevented from collapsing further by electron degeneracy pressure, a quantum mechanical effect based on the Pauli exclusion principle.

Related Questions
What is the primary mechanism resisting the crushing gravitational force during the protostar phase?What is the term for the state achieved when fusion-driven pressure perfectly counters the force of gravity in a star?What ultimately halts the gravitational collapse of a protostar definitively?What happens to objects with mass below approximately 0.08 solar masses during formation?What is the driving engine responsible for initiating and sustaining the infall of material during protostar formation?What mechanism supports a white dwarf core against further collapse after a low-to-intermediate mass star dies?What critical temperature must the core of a Sun-like star reach to initiate hydrogen fusion?What process is essential for preventing a fragment with significant initial angular momentum from tearing itself apart during collapse?How does the support mechanism of a main-sequence star fundamentally differ from that of a protostar?What pressure supports a stellar core if it collapses past the point where electron degeneracy pressure can halt it?