Degenerate matter is matter which has sufficiently high density that the dominant contribution to its pressure arises from the Pauli exclusion principle. The pressure maintained by a body of degenerate matter is called the degeneracy pressure, and arises because the Pauli principle forbids the constituent particles from occupying identical quantum states. Therefore, reducing the volume requires forcing the particles into higher-energy quantum states. The species of fermion are sometimes identified, so that we may speak of electron degeneracy pressure, neutron degeneracy pressure, and so forth. Matter is commonly referred to as the substance of which physical objects are composed. ... Pressure is the application of force to a surface, and the concentration of that force in a given area. ... The Pauli exclusion principle is a quantum mechanical principle formulated by Wolfgang Pauli in 1925, which states that no two identical fermions may occupy the same quantum state. ... Fermions, named after Enrico Fermi, are particles which form totally-antisymmetric composite quantum states. ... Properties The electron is a subatomic particle. ... Properties In physics, the neutron is a subatomic particle with no net electric charge and a mass of 939. ...

Unlike gases, degenerate matter is difficult to compress and the volume of degenerate matter does not change much in response to changes in temperature or pressure. A gas is one of the phases of matter. ...

Exotic examples of degenerate matter include neutronium, strange matter, metallic hydrogen and white dwarf matter. Degeneracy pressure contributes to the pressure of conventional solids, but these are not usually considered to be degenerate matter as a significant contribution to their pressure is provided by the interplay between the electrical repulsion of atomic nuclei and the screening of nuclei from each other by electrons allocated among the quantum states determined by the nuclear electrical potentials. In metals it is useful to treat the conduction electrons alone as a degenerate, free electron gas while the majority of the electrons are regarded as occupying bound quantum states. This contrasts with the case of the degenerate matter that forms the body of a white dwarf where all the electrons would be treated as occupying free particle momentum states. General Name, Symbol, Number neutronium, n, 0 Chemical series noble gases Group, Period, Block 18, 0, 0 Appearance colorless Image:.jpg Atomic mass  ? g/mol Electron configuration none Electrons per shell 0 Physical properties Phase plasma Miscellaneous Notable isotopes References Neutronium is a colloquial and often misused term for an... Strange matter is an ultra-dense phase of matter that is theorized to form inside particularly massive neutron stars. ... Metallic hydrogen results when hydrogen is sufficiently compressed and undergoes a phase change, and it is an example of degenerate matter. ... White dwarf Sirius-B in x-rays A white dwarf is an astronomical object which is produced when a low to medium mass star dies. ... A solid is a state of matter, characterized by a definite volume and a definite shape (i. ... A stylized representation of a lithium atom. ... Potential energy (U, or Ep) is defined as work of conservative force(s) during change of state of physical system from given static state to another static state (latter is usually called reference state, or reference level). ... Metal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... It has been suggested that Conductor (power engineering) be merged into this article or section. ...