What stellar core remains at the center of the expanding planetary nebula?
Answer
The extremely hot, dense core that eventually becomes a white dwarf.
As the dying intermediate-mass star violently sheds its massive outer layers, the remaining central structure is the compressed, incredibly hot, and dense remnant of the star's core. This core has ceased core fusion and is designated as a white dwarf. This white dwarf is responsible for powering the illumination of the surrounding expanding gas. Although the white dwarf is small in size, its surface temperature is exceptionally high, often soaring past 100,000 Kelvin, which is crucial for the next step in the nebula's appearance.
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