What specific pressure supports an Earth-sized White dwarf against gravitational collapse after the AGB phase?
Answer
Electron degeneracy pressure
After the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) phase, low-to-mid mass stars shed their swollen outer layers, leaving behind a hot, dense remnant core known as a white dwarf. Despite possessing the mass of the Sun, this remnant is compressed down to roughly the size of Earth. Gravity attempts to crush this object further, but the collapse is halted by electron degeneracy pressure. This quantum mechanical effect arises because the electrons are packed so tightly that they resist further compression, providing the essential outward force that prevents the white dwarf from collapsing completely, until it theoretically cools into a black dwarf over vast cosmic timescales.
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