Editing State of matter (section)

===Degenerate matter===
{{Main|Degenerate matter}}

Under extremely high pressure, as in the cores of dead stars, ordinary matter undergoes a transition to a series of exotic states of matter collectively known as [[degenerate matter]], which are supported mainly by quantum mechanical effects. In physics, "degenerate" refers to two states that have the same energy and are thus interchangeable. Degenerate matter is supported by the [[Pauli exclusion principle]], which prevents two [[fermion]]ic particles from occupying the same quantum state. Unlike regular plasma, degenerate plasma expands little when heated, because there are simply no momentum states left. Consequently, degenerate stars collapse into very high densities. More massive degenerate stars are smaller, because the gravitational force increases, but pressure does not increase proportionally.

[[Degenerate matter#Electron degeneracy|Electron-degenerate matter]] is found inside [[white dwarf]] stars. Electrons remain bound to atoms but are able to transfer to adjacent atoms. [[Degenerate matter#Neutron degeneracy|Neutron-degenerate matter]] is found in [[neutron star]]s. Vast gravitational pressure compresses atoms so strongly that the electrons are forced to combine with protons via inverse beta-decay, resulting in a superdense conglomeration of neutrons. Normally free [[neutron]]s outside an atomic nucleus will [[Free neutron decay|decay]] with a half life of approximately 10 minutes, but in a neutron star, the decay is overtaken by inverse decay. Cold degenerate matter is also present in planets such as [[Jupiter]] and in the even more massive [[brown dwarf]]s, which are expected to have a core with [[metallic hydrogen]]. Because of the degeneracy, more massive brown dwarfs are not significantly larger. In metals, the electrons can be modeled as a degenerate gas moving in a lattice of non-degenerate positive ions.