The structure and stability of massive hot white dwarfs

TL;DR

This paper explores how temperature influences the structure and stability of massive hot white dwarfs, highlighting the effects on equilibrium, stability thresholds, and the importance of relativistic effects near instability points.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the impact of temperature on white dwarf stability, incorporating relativistic effects and comparing theoretical models with observational data.

Findings

Temperature significantly affects white dwarf equilibrium and stability.

Maximum mass and stability thresholds are determined by central energy density.

Radial stability decreases as the central temperature increases.

Abstract

We investigate the structure and stability against radial oscillations, pycnonuclear reactions, and inverse $\beta$-decay of hot white dwarfs. We regard that the fluid matter is made up for nucleons and electrons confined in a Wigner-Seitz cell surrounded by free photons. It is considered that the temperature depends on the mass density considering the presence of an isothermal core. We find that the temperature produces remarkable effects on the equilibrium and radial stability of white dwarfs. The stable equilibrium configuration results are compared with white dwarfs estimated from the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer Survey and Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We derive masses, radii, and central temperatures for the most massive white dwarfs according to surface gravity and effective temperature reported by the survey. We note that these massive stars are in the mass region where the general relativity effects are important. These stars are near the threshold of instabilities due to radial oscillations, pycnonuclear reaction, and inverse $\beta$-decay. Regarding the radial stability of these stars as a function of the temperature, we obtain that the radial stability decreases with the increment of central temperature. We also obtain that the maximum mass point and the zero eigenfrequencies of the fundamental mode are determined at the same central energy density. Regarding low-temperature stars, the pycnonuclear reactions occur in almost similar central energy densities, and the central energy density threshold for inverse $\beta$-decay is not modified. For $T_c\geq1.0\times10^{8}\,[\rm K]$, the onset of the radial instability is attained before the pycnonuclear reaction and the inverse $\beta$-decay.