Recent content by Galaxer

Thanks for the replies. I am trying to imagine how the degeneracy pressure arises. If the volume is getting smaller, then imagining the different states as standing waves, each wavelength is getting smaller and its energy is getting larger. But why does it mean that states are forced to overlap?

So does degenerate just mean that ##kT## (thermal excitations) are too small to cause electrons near Fermi level to be excited to the next level?

Drakkith - that makes sense. Thank you! I would assume that we still need to have $$ m_e c^2 \ll K \ll E_F $$ where ##K## is the kinetic energy of the electron. That is, it cannot be "too ultra-relativistic" where the kinetic energy of the highest level electrons approaches ##E_f## and stay...

Hi! I have read a calculation about a white dwarf star assuming the electrons are both ultra-relativistic and degenerate. My questions is - how come the ultra-relativistic assumption doesn't contradict the "degeneracy" assumption. Degenerate means the electrons are filling out all the lowest...