1. White Dwarfs
Chapter 20

2. Opener

3. Fig. 20.1

4. Fig. 20.2

5. Chandrasekhar Limit In an ideal quantum Fermi gas
In an ideal gas of Fermions, because the particles obey Fermi-Dirac statistics they are prohibited from occupying the same quantum state with another identical particle. This creates an effective pressure due to this so-called Pauli blocking. This means that as the pressure increases the size of the gas gets smaller but there is an equilibrium size because of the Pauli pressure which counteracts the external pressure.
There is a limit of how much pressure the Fermi-gas can sustain using its Pauli blocking ability and at a very-very high pressure (exerted by gravity) its size vanishes. This means that it becomes unstable.

6. Fig. 20.3

7. Fig. 20.4

8. Fig. 20.5

9. NGC 4725

10. Fig. 20.7

11. Fig. 20.8

12. Fig. 20.9

13. SN 1987A

14. SN 1987A

15. Fig

16. A Chandra X-Ray Observatory Image of the Supernova Remnant, Cas A

17. Tycho’s supernova

18. Cygnus Loop

19. Crab nebula

20. Fig

21. Fig

22. Fig

23. Fig

24. Fig

25. Fig

26. Fig

27. Fig

28. Fig

29. Fig

30. Fig

31. Fig

32. Fig

33. Inter. 20.1