Why is a white dwarf's heat paradoxical when considering its low light output?
Answer
Its intense heat is residual, leftover energy, not from ongoing production, and it is highly compressed.
The paradox is solved because the heat is residual trapped energy, and while the temperature is high, the extremely small size (radius) severely limits the total luminosity radiated away.
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Why Do White Dwarfs Still Radiate Heat? - Physics Frontier - YouTube
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