What stellar configuration is required for a Type Ia supernova explosion?
Answer
A white dwarf orbiting another star in a binary system.
Type Ia supernovae follow a distinct evolutionary pathway that depends critically on a binary star environment. This specific type of explosion occurs when a white dwarf, which is the dense remnant of a medium-sized star that has already died, is in close orbit with a companion star, potentially a red giant. In this setup, the white dwarf actively accretes, or steals, material, primarily hydrogen and helium, from its partner. This steady addition of mass gradually increases the white dwarf's total mass until it approaches an absolute critical limit, triggering runaway thermonuclear fusion rather than undergoing a gravitational collapse like core-collapse supernovae.
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