# Gravity Defied (from potato asteroids to magnetised neutron stars) III. White Dwarfs (dead stars of the first kind)

## TL;DR

This paper discusses the nature of white dwarfs, which are stars that have exhausted their nuclear fuel and are supported against gravity by electron degeneracy pressure, highlighting their role as dead stars of the first kind.

## Contribution

It provides an overview of the physical mechanism supporting white dwarfs and their significance as the first kind of dead stars.

## Key findings

- White dwarfs are supported by electron degeneracy pressure.
- They represent the final evolutionary stage of low mass stars.
- White dwarfs are characterized by Fermi degenerate electron pressure.

## Abstract

During its active lifetime a star burns its nuclear fuel and gravitation is held off by the pressure of the heated gas. Gravity should take over once this fuel is exhausted unless some other agency saves the star from such a fate. Low mass stars find peace as {\bf \em white dwarfs} when the electrons settle into a Fermi degenerate phase where the pressure of degenerate electrons balance the gravitational pressure.