What specific process in a close binary system can push a White dwarf past its stability limit, causing a Type Ia supernova?
Answer
Accretion of transferred mass
Stellar evolution, usually dictated by initial mass, can be severely altered when a star resides in a close binary system. If the expanding giant star exceeds the Roche limit, it transfers matter onto its companion star in a process called accretion. When the recipient companion is a white dwarf, this mid-life injection of new material effectively increases its mass beyond the Chandrasekhar limit. Once this critical threshold is surpassed, the white dwarf can no longer be supported by electron degeneracy pressure, resulting in a runaway thermonuclear reaction that causes a far more energetic explosion than a standard nova—the Type Ia supernova.
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