 Geometrical thickness of a white-dwarf radiative envelope

Integrating the hydrostatic pressure support equation with the radiative-zero white-dwarf envelope law yields $T=4GM(1/r-1/R)/(17\mathcal{R})$. Matching $T=T_c$ at $r_b$ gives $s=R-r_b$ as displayed. A strongly degenerate bulk core has thermal energy small compared with its Fermi energy, making $q\ll 1$ and hence $s\ll R$. The inequality $T_c\gg T_{\mathrm{eff}}$ alone does not establish geometrical thinness.