A type Ia supernova is caused by
A)The abrupt consumption of carbon in a white dwarf
B)The expulsion of the accretion disk of a neutron star
C)A black hole pulling its binary companion through its event horizon
D)The collapse of the core of a neutron star in a binary system

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A type Ia supernova occurs when a carbon-oxygen white dwarf, which is a remnant of a formerly low-mass main-sequence star, accretes matter from a companion star until it reaches a critical mass limit (known as the Chandrasekhar limit), causing a runaway fusion reaction that completely disrupts the white dwarf and releases a large amount of energy and material into space. This process is known as a thermonuclear supernova.

A Type Ia Supernova Is Caused by