Illustration of White Dwarf Accretion
Astronomers have detected a bright X-ray outburst from a white dwarf that represents new behavior from this type of star. A combination of X-rays from Chandra and Swift as well as optical data from ground-based telescopes indicate that this star may be the fastest-growing white dwarf ever observed. In a process called accretion, the white dwarf pulls gas onto a large disk surrounding it, from a giant companion star. The material becomes hotter as it spirals toward the white dwarf, as shown in our illustration, and allows the white dwarf to accumulate mass.
(Illustration Credit: NASA/CXC/M. Weiss)