If an 0.8 M_⨀ white dwarf could accrete matter from a binary companion at a rate of 10⁻⁹ M_⨀/yr,how long would it take before it exploded as a Type I supernova? A)600 thousand years B)20 million years C)200 million years D)600 million years E)1 billion years

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The time it takes for a white dwarf to explode as a Type I supernova (also known as the Chandrasekhar limit) is approximately 1.4 MS1U1B1⨀S1U1B0 years. Given a white dwarf mass of 0.8 MS1U1B1⨀S1U1B0 and an accretion rate of 10S1U1P1−S1S1P0S1U1P19S1S1P0 MS1U1B1⨀S1U1B0/yr, it will take approximately (1.4 MS1U1B1⨀S1U1B0) / (10S1U1P1−S1S1P0S1U1P19S1S1P0 MS1U1B1⨀S1U1B0/yr) = 140 million / (S1S1P0S1U1B1⨀S1U1B0/yr) years for the white dwarf to reach the Chandrasekhar limit and explode as a Type I supernova. Therefore, the best choice is D) 600 million years.

If an 08 M⨀ White Dwarf Could Accrete Matter from a Binary

If an 08 M_⨀ White Dwarf Could Accrete Matter from a Binary