A quantum state where electrons are packed so densely that they fill all available energy levels up to the Fermi energy, creating pressure independent of temperature. This phenomenon supports white dwarf stars against gravitational collapse.
From Greek 'elektron' meaning 'amber' (source of electric charge) and Latin 'degeneratus.' The concept developed in the 1920s when Fermi-Dirac statistics explained the behavior of electrons under extreme density conditions.
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