text: can i have info for white dwarf stars? for a science project a white dwarf is an astronomical object which is produced when a low or medium mass star dies. these stars are not heavy enough to generate the core temperatures required to fuse carbon in nucleosynthesis reactions. after one has become a red giant during its helium-burning phase, it will shed its outer layers to form a planetary nebula, leaving behind an inert core consisting mostly of carbon and oxygen.