There are enough heavy elements like Uranium in a massive white dwarf star to create and sustain a fission reaction in the core of the star. Such a reaction would proceed uncontrolled - like a fission bomb - and could get hot enough to ignite CO burning and make a type 1a supernova. In essence, whitedwarfs might be a naturally occuring two-stage nuclear weapon where a fission stage sets off a fusion stage.

Please join Tony Darnell and Matt Caplan from Illinois State University to discuss his new theory.

Read more here:
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/03/some-dead-stars-may-harbor-enough-uranium-set-thermonuclear-bomb

#LiveAstronomy #DeepAstronomy

Interested in supporting Deep Astronomy and getting great telescope gear? Use this link to shop at OPT (aff link): http://bit.ly/2Wq0BO8

Join our Chat on Discord here:
https://discord.gg/nqGpvtK

Follow DeepAstronomy on Twitter:
@DeepAstronomy

Watch Tony's Twitch Tuesdays on Twitch:
https://twitch.tv/DeepAstronomy