Is Colonizing White Dwarf Systems Feasible for Interstellar Travelers?

  • B
  • Thread starter Jupiter60
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Cool
In summary, this paper speculates that it would be possible for intelligent life to colonize white dwarf stars when they become cool enough in the future. Colonizing white dwarf stars does not require cooling off, only a planet in the habitable zone. Physicists say this is a plausible scenario, but there is no evidence that this has actually happened yet.
  • #1
Jupiter60
79
22
TL;DR Summary
Would it be possible for intelligent life to colonize white dwarf stars when they become cool enough in the future? After all stars in the universe have left the main sequence I think they may be the places that intelligent life colonizes in order to survive if indeed they will be colonizible.
Colonizing white dwarf s.
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #2
Sounds like a terribly convoluted way to make pancakes.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Likes vela, DennisN, russ_watters and 1 other person
  • #3
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.
 
  • #4
Jupiter60 said:
Would it be possible for intelligent life to colonize white dwarf stars when they become cool enough in the future?
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.
 
Last edited:
  • #5
According to NASA, the gravity on the surface of a white dwarf is 350,000 times that of gravity on Earth.
...
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).
 
Last edited:
  • Wow
Likes Klystron and berkeman
  • #6
It's been quoted that it would take trillions of years for a white dwarf to cool so none have ever reached that point yet.
 
  • #7
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.
...
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).

@Bandersnatch humor makes excellent sense given conditions. The (fictional) inhabitants of Dragon's Egg, roughly the mass of an adult human in the volume of a sesame seed, call themselves 'pancakes' using a term for the breakfast item from Chinese culture to mask the humor.

Author R. L. Forward manages extreme gravity and temperatures gracefully for the hypothetical life adapted to flourish on a magnetar. I re-read the novel recently to recollect how the author deals with the intense electromagnetic fields.
A magnetar is a type of neutron star believed to have an extremely powerful magnetic field (∼109 to 1011 T, ∼1013 to 1015 G).
High temperature and pressure adaptation from the wiki notes on the novel:
... 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...
 
  • Like
Likes Keith_McClary
  • #8
Aliens capable of interstellar travel could colonize white dwarf systems right now. No need from them to cool off. A planet in the habitable zone would tidally lock but that would not rule out colonizing it. They also might not colonize planets at all. If you can survive interstellar travel why would you need to land on a planet?

Here is a paper that totally does not meet physics forums' standard for peer reviewed journals. It was, however, written by physicists in a real physics department and the paper has that academic look to it. Might be the best available for this particular topic.
 

1. What is a cool white dwarf?

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.

2. Why would we want to colonize cool white dwarfs?

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.

3. How would we go about colonizing a cool white dwarf?

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.

4. What challenges would we face in colonizing a cool white dwarf?

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.

5. Are there any potential benefits to colonizing cool white dwarfs?

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.

Similar threads

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
27
Views
2K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
1
Views
909
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
5
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
9
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
1
Views
781
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
8
Views
2K
Replies
33
Views
5K
Back
Top