Star Talk: Thermonuclear Supernovae

Thermonuclear Supernovae and the Quest to Understand Why White Dwarfs Explode by Professor Marten van Kerkwijk If a carbon-oxygen white dwarf explodes, it will look like a type Ia supernova, with most of the carbon and oxygen fused to silicon- and iron-group elements. But it remains unclear both under what physical conditions the explosions are triggered and in what…
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