When the Small but Dense White Dwarf Is Formed from a Star

When the small but dense white dwarf is formed from a star like the Sun, the core temperature is not high enough to permit the carbon and oxygen to participate in further energy-producing nuclear reactions. But why does this dense core not produce energy by the Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction?

A) Electron degeneracy holds up the star and prohibits contraction.
B) Neutron degeneracy holds up the star and prohibits contraction.
C) The Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction only applies to hydrogen.
D) The Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction only applies to hydrogen and helium, not to metals.

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