Metric-affine effects in crystallization processes of white dwarfs

TL;DR

This paper investigates how modified gravity theories influence the internal properties, crystallization, and cooling processes of white dwarfs, revealing significant effects on their age and structure.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analysis of the impact of Palatini $f(R)$ gravity on white dwarf properties and their cooling mechanisms, linking gravity modifications to stellar evolution.

Findings

Gravity affects white dwarf mass and size

Modified gravity alters internal properties and crystallization

Cooling age can be significantly decreased

Abstract

We analyze the effects of modified gravity on specific heats of electrons and ions, Debye temperature, crystallization process, and cooling mechanism in white dwarfs. We derive the Lane-Emden-Chandrasekhar equation and relate it to the cooling process equations for Palatini $f(R)$ gravity. Moreover, for the first time in the literature, we show that the gravity model plays a crucial role not only in the mass and size of the white dwarf, but also affects their internal properties. We further demonstrate that modified gravity can decrease the cooling age significantly.