Can Stars Really Collide?

[BlackJack]

Well I have to make a project about star collision for my school. Now I'm not quite sure how to start, because there are some differen theories. My teacher said the old one is that star never collide, but the newer one (scientific american) says that it is possible ?
So where can I find some good information to that topic ?

Also I plan to simulate the collsion of a white dwarf and the sun, with a simple experiment:

-an air gun + water filled ballon
and the record that and make some conclusions about what would really happen.

Have you got any other ideas what I could do ?

please tell me

 

[Nereid]

The Scientific American article is a good place to start; if you have questions after reading it (and the 'further reading' it mentions), by all means ask them here1

Re your simulation: how does the density of a white dwarf compare with the average density of the Sun (and its density at its core)? What is the ratio of the density of an airgun pellet and water? Considerations like these will help you describe the strengths and weaknesses of your simulation.

 

[LURCH]

Dwarf star: could the presence of that much mass at such great density in the core of the Sun dampen fusion, like lead rods in a fission reactor?

 

[BlackJack]

@ the experiement : the white dwarf has fare more higher desinity so it would just cut through the sun (sciam: good simulation).


Is there a chance that a university would do some calculation about a collsion ? [?] imo probably not, maybe i just ask ^^