White dwarfs—the ultimate destiny of stars like the sun—maximize the pollution signal.

类似太阳一样终极命运的恒白矮使得污染的信号最大化。

We now call such stars -- white dwarfs.

我们现称这种恒为——白矮。

And in the center is a white dwarf.

中间是一颗白矮。

Or, it seems, when you're cruising past a white dwarf star.

或者可以说你缓慢驶过一颗白矮时。

Smaller stars like the sun leave behind what are called white dwarves.

像太阳这样较小的恒会留下白矮。

It contains two gravitationally linked stars – a white dwarf and a red giant.

它包含两颗引力相互作用的恒——一颗白矮和一颗红巨。

Now researchers have identified rocky, asteroidlike material raining down on two white dwarfs.

如今，研究人员已经确定了如下雨两颗白矮上的多岩石的、类似于小行的物质。

White dwarfs have cruelly strong gravity.

白矮具有极强的引力。

A white dwarf is the stellar equivalent of a shrunken but feisty old-age pensioner.

从某种程度上说，白矮是一颗虽然已经萎缩，但仍旧不服老的高龄恒。

The object was too massive to be a white dwarf or a neutron star.

这个物体的质量太大，不可能是白矮或中子。

NASA describes a white dwarf as the remains of an Earth-sized star that died.

美国国家航空航天局将白矮描述为一颗地球大小的恒死亡后的残骸。

Over 10,000 white dwarfs have now been found in our galaxy.

我们的系中已经发现了一万多颗白矮。

The universe becomes dimmer and dimmer, illuminated only by smaller red and white dwarfs.

宇宙会变得越来越暗淡，仅由较小的红矮和白矮照亮（快烧尽的太阳灰渣）。

The event involves thermonuclear explosions that take place on a star called a white dwarf.

该事件涉及发生一颗名为白矮的恒上的热核爆炸。

And how neutron stars, white dwarfs and black holes are created in the first place.

以及中子、白矮和黑洞最初是如何形成的。

In a nova, the white dwarf remains active after the event.

新中，白矮事件发生后仍然活跃。

The white dwarf's gravity is so powerful it can suck hydrogen off of that companion.

“白矮的引力非常强，以致于会吸取同伴的氢元素。

The hydrogen then flows toward the white dwarf's magnetic poles.

然后氢气流向白矮的磁极。

The explosions happen because the white dwarf's gravity has pulled material from a companion star.

爆炸的发生是因为白矮的引力吸引了伴上的物质。

Ben Murdin of the University of Surrey, for example, has been making white dwarfs.

比如说，萨里大学的本-穆迪一直“制作”白矮。