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2 years ago in Astrophysics , Stellar Evolution , WhiteDwarf By Simouni
Can a carbon-oxygen white dwarf with a mass greater than 1 M‑ form via merging compact stars?
My research involves binary population synthesis, and the merger channel for white dwarfs is a key pathway. While merging two ~0.7 M? CO white dwarfs can surpass 1.4 M?, every simulation I've seen results in a catastrophic Type Ia supernova. Are there any finely-tuned conditions specific mass ratios, accretion rates, or compositions that could allow a stable, massive white dwarf remnant instead?
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By Rahul K Answered 5 months ago
This is a frontier question in binary evolution. In my work with simulations, forming a stable super-Chandrasekhar CO white dwarf is an extreme outlier. The merger violently heats the core, and carbon ignition is almost inevitable. However, I have seen published models suggest a narrow pathway: if the merger is highly asymmetric and the accreted material forms a thick helium layer on a near-Chandrasekhar core, off-center helium burning can occur first. This might gradually process material, allowing the core to grow slightly above the limit while staying cool. But it requires exquisite fine-tuning of masses and composition, making it a rare curiosity rather than a common channel.
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