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Current Challenges in the Physics of White Dwarfs: the Origins of the Ultramassive White D — NSF Award to University of Oklahoma N

White dwarfs are the dense, Earth-sized remains of stars like our Sun. Some of these white dwarfs are unusually massive, and their origins are still not fully understood. One possibility is that they form when two stars merge into one. This project will study the most massive white dwarfs in our galaxy to understand ho

Award titleCurrent Challenges in the Physics of White Dwarfs: the Origins of the Ultramassive White D
Award ID2508429
AwardeeUniversity of Oklahoma Norman Campus
CityNORMAN
StateOK
Amount obligated$390,073
Principal investigatorMukremin Kilic
ProgramSTELLAR ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSC
Start date09/01/2025
AbstractWhite dwarfs are the dense, Earth-sized remains of stars like our Sun. Some of these white dwarfs are unusually massive, and their origins are still not fully understood. One possibility is that they form when two stars merge into one. This project will study the most massive white dwarfs in our galaxy to understand how they form, what they are made of, and how they evolve. By using data from Gaia and ground-based telescopes, the team will identify white dwarf merger remnants, measure their mass
SourceNSF Awards

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