Metric-affine effects in crystallization processes of white dwarfs

Abstract

We analyze the effects of modified gravity on specific heats of electrons and ions, Debye temperature, crystallization process, and cooling mechanism in white dwarfs. We derive the Lane-Emden-Chandrasekhar equation and relate it to the cooling process equations for Palatini $f(R)$ gravity. Moreover, for the first time in the literature, we show that the gravity model plays a crucial role not only in the mass and size of the white dwarf, but also affects their internal properties. We further demonstrate that modified gravity can decrease the cooling age significantly.