Ia Supernova Question

[Scottifer]

In a binary star system when the white dwarf explodes in either a nova or a supernova do we know what happens to the main sequence star that is near the white dwarf? Is there enough distance between the star and the explosion so nothing happens or does the main sequence star explode as well? I've tried to search around online for an answer but I haven't found really found anything yet. Is this just something that we don't know because we have not yet witnessed it yet?

 

[crazyeddie]

In a binary star system when the white dwarf explodes in either a nova or a supernova do we know what happens to the main sequence star that is near the white dwarf? Is there enough distance between the star and the explosion so nothing happens or does the main sequence star explode as well? I've tried to search around online for an answer but I haven't found really found anything yet. Is this just something that we don't know because we have not yet witnessed it yet?

If it were a mere nova explosion, where a clump of infalling gas reaches a very high temperature and falls into the white dwarf in a bright flash, neither star will be destroyed, because the force is not great enough to disrupt either star. In a type 1a supernova, it is not likely that the companion star to the white dwarf will be on the main sequence. It is not until it expands into a red giant itself that it begins to shed it's outer envelope that falls into an accretion disk around the white dwarf. When the mass of the white dwarf reaches 1.4 solar masses, a runaway chain reaction will cause it to explode. The companion star, which is likely to be a red giant, will have it's outer atmosphere blown away, leaving it's core exposed. Since the white dwarf has obliterated itself, the red giant core will be released from the gravitation that held it in orbit, and it will shoot off into space.

 

[Saiph]

and an odd side effect of having the outer layers blown off from a violent explosion is...


it'll live longer

weird, but true. Lower mass stars live much longer than higher mass stars. A 100 solar mass star lives ten million years or so, while a 0.1 solar mass star will live for a hundred billion.

 

[Scottifer]

Oh cool, thank you for the explanation. That question was driving me crazy for a week