What must happen to a white dwarf in a binary system to trigger a Type Ia supernova?
Answer
It must accrete mass until it reaches the Chandrasekhar Limit ($ ext{ extdollar} 1.44 M_ ext{ extdollar}$)
A Type Ia supernova is triggered when a white dwarf in a binary system gains enough mass, either through siphoning or merger, until it reaches approximately $1.44 M_ ext{ extdollar}$, igniting a runaway thermonuclear carbon fusion.
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