White dwarfs are supported by electron degeneracy pressure. Because is small for the electrons in a
compact white dwarf, must be large (by the uncertainty principle). This means that electrons gain a
large momentum which exerts a pressure and supports the star. This leads to the paradoxical result that the more
massive a white dwarf, the smaller its radius. The Chandrasekhar limit
is the maximum mass a
white dwarf may have, where is the solar mass. Eric Weisstein's World of Astronomy Shu (1982, p. 128) gives
Black Dwarf, Chandrasekhar Limit, Electron Degeneracy Pressure, Fermion Degeneracy Pressure
References
Barstow et al. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc., Dec. 1, 1995.
Glendenning, N. K. Compact Stars: Nuclear Physics, Particle Physics, and General Relativity, 2nd ed. New York: Springer-Verlag, 2000.
Shapiro, S. L. and Teukolsky, S. A. Black Holes, White Dwarfs, and Neutron Stars: The Physics of Compact Objects. New York: Wiley, 1983.
Shu, F. H. The Physical Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy. Mill Valley, CA: University Science Books, p. 128, 1982.
