Collapse of white dwarfs in low mass binary systems

Low-mass binary X-ray sources and cataclysmic variables are composed of a compact star plus a non-degenerate star with a mass of the order of 1 Msun. In the first case, the degenerate star is a neutron star. In the second case, the star is a white dwarf. The similarities of both systems are so high that it is worthwhile to look for the possibility of obtaining a neutron star from the collapse of a white dwarf that accretes matter. The present work shows that massive, initially cold white dwarfs can collapse non-explosively if they accrete mass at a rate greater than 1.0E-7 Msun per year. (Author)