White Dwarfs - The Distant Fate of Stars Like Our Sun - Mike Montgomery

Explore the fascinating world of white dwarfs in this 52-minute conference talk from the KITP Teachers' Conference. Delve into the final evolutionary stage of most stars in our galaxy, including those similar to our Sun. Learn about the unique characteristics of white dwarfs, their importance in astrophysics, and recent observational breakthroughs from satellites like Gaia, Kepler, and TESS. Discover how these dense, Earth-sized stellar remnants cool over time, their internal composition, and their role in various cosmic phenomena. Investigate intriguing questions about white dwarf mergers, planetary survival around evolving stars, and the implications for measuring the Universe's expansion rate. Gain insights into bringing cutting-edge astrophysics to the classroom, covering topics such as stellar evolution, astronomical classification, and advanced modeling techniques. Engage with discussions on the Z Machine, lab plasma experiments, and model atmosphere codes used to study these cosmic laboratories.