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The Chandrasekhar Limit & Type Ia Supernovae: Structures & Vocabulary

Electron degeneracy cannot support a white dwarf of arbitrarily large mass. Type Ia supernovae synthesize iron-group elements and are crucial distance indicators after empirical standardization.

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The Chandrasekhar Limit & Type Ia Supernovae: Structures & Vocabulary

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AST-406The Chandrasekhar Limit & Type Ia Supernovae: Foundations→

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AST-408The Chandrasekhar Limit & Type Ia Supernovae: Physical Mechanisms→

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Electron degeneracy cannot support a white dwarf of arbitrarily large mass.

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As a white dwarf becomes denser, electron speeds become relativistic and degeneracy pressure grows less effectively with further compression.

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