What triggers the sudden brightening in a typical nova involving a white dwarf?
Answer
A runaway thermonuclear fusion reaction on the surface.
A typical nova event is characterized by the sudden, dramatic brightening caused by a specific mechanism occurring on the surface of a white dwarf in a close binary system. The process begins when the white dwarf continuously siphons hydrogen-rich material from its companion star. As this material accumulates on the white dwarf's surface, the increasing pressure and temperature eventually reach a critical threshold, which initiates a runaway thermonuclear fusion reaction. This surge of energy is responsible for violently ejecting the outer layers of the accumulated gas, resulting in the observable bright flash that defines a nova.
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