What temperature range is "cool enough" for the surface of white dwarf stars to be habitable (presumably with insulation?)? Do you have any links to references about their temperature? Thanks.Jupiter60 said:Would it be possible for intelligent life to colonize white dwarf stars when they become cool enough in the future?
Bandersnatch said:Sounds like a terribly convoluted way to make pancakes.
Klystron said:If this thread resided under the science fiction sub-forum, I would direct the OP to the novel "Dragon's Egg" by physicist Robert Forward who speculates how complex molecules and life might evolve under extreme conditions on a neutron star.
Keith_McClary said:According to NASA, the gravity on the surface of a white dwarf is 350,000 times that of gravity on Earth.
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The neutron star's compactness gives it a surface gravity of up to 7×10^12 m/s² with typical values of order 10^12 m/s² (that is more than 10^11 times that of Earth).
High temperature and pressure adaptation from the wiki notes on the novel:A magnetar is a type of neutron star believed to have an extremely powerful magnetic field (∼109 to 1011 T, ∼1013 to 1015 G).
... Dragon's Egg cools enough to allow a stable equivalent of "chemistry", in which "compounds" are constructed of nuclei bound by the strong force, rather than of Earth's atoms bound by the electromagnetic force. As the star's chemical processes are about one million times faster than Earth's, self-replicating "molecules" appear shortly and life begins on the star. As the star continues to cool, more complex life evolves, until plant-like organisms appear...
A cool white dwarf is a type of star that has reached the end of its life cycle and has collapsed into a dense, compact object. It is typically smaller and cooler than other types of stars, with a surface temperature of around 4,000-8,000 Kelvin.
Cool white dwarfs have a long lifespan and emit very little radiation, making them potentially habitable for humans. They also have stable, predictable orbits, making them ideal for long-term space travel and settlement.
Colonizing a cool white dwarf would require advanced technology and resources. One possible approach would be to build a self-sustaining habitat on the surface of the star, using materials that can withstand the extreme temperatures and gravitational forces.
Some of the major challenges in colonizing a cool white dwarf would include the extreme temperatures, gravitational forces, and lack of resources such as water and organic matter. There would also be the challenge of developing technology that can withstand these conditions and sustain human life in such an environment.
Aside from the potential for long-term habitation and space travel, colonizing cool white dwarfs could also provide valuable insights into the evolution and behavior of stars. It could also open up new opportunities for scientific research and resource extraction.