Question 1

A supernova type ___ is from a white dwarf explosion.&#10;A) II&#10;B) IIa&#10;C) Ia&#10;D) IIb

Accepted Answer

Type Ia supernovas occur when a white dwarf in a binary system accretes enough mass from its companion star to reach a critical mass, leading to a thermonuclear explosion.

Question 2

Spiraling gas around an object is known as a(an) ____.&#10;A) accretion disk&#10;B) bipolar jets&#10;C) Roche lobe&#10;D) nova

Accepted Answer

Spiraling gas around an object, such as a black hole, neutron star, or white dwarf, is known as an accretion disk. This occurs when material is pulled towards the object due to its gravity and forms a disk as it spirals in, often heating up and emitting light in the process.

Question 3

The Chandrasekhar limit is about&#10;A) 4.1 times the mass of the Sun.&#10;B) 1.4 times the mass of the Sun.&#10;C) 3 times the mass of the Sun.&#10;D) 14 times the mass of the Sun.

Accepted Answer

The Chandrasekhar limit is approximately 1.4 times the mass of the Sun. It represents the maximum mass a white dwarf star can have before collapsing into a neutron star or black hole.

Question 4

A white dwarf can explode in a supernova if it&#10;A) acquires enough extra mass.&#10;B) gets hot enough.&#10;C) spins fast enough.&#10;D) has a high enough velocity.

Accepted Answer

A white dwarf can explode in a supernova, specifically a Type Ia supernova, if it acquires enough mass from a companion star or merges with another white dwarf, reaching the Chandrasekhar limit. This leads to runaway nuclear fusion.

Question 5

When two stars are close enough to each other so that one may deposit material on its neighbor, this is known as _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When two stars are close enough to...

Question 6

A red giant can fill an area called the ____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A red giant can fill an area...

Question 7

A recurrent nova is usually in a binary star system.

Accepted Answer

A recurrent nova occurs in a binary star system where a white dwarf and a companion star orbit each other closely enough for the white dwarf to accrete material from its companion, leading to periodic thermonuclear explosions on the surface of the white dwarf.

Question 8

Type II supernovas are white dwarf explosions.

Accepted Answer

Type II supernovas result from the collapse of a massive star, not from white dwarf explosions. White dwarf explosions are associated with Type Ia supernovas.

Deck 66: Exploding White Dwarfs