Chandrasekhar limit

Definition

The Chandrasekhar limit is the maximum mass (approximately 1.4 times the mass of the Sun) that a white dwarf star can have before it collapses under its own gravity. Beyond this limit, the white dwarf will undergo further gravitational collapse to form a neutron star or black hole.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Chandrasekhar limit is approximately 1.4 solar masses.
2. It signifies the mass threshold beyond which electron degeneracy pressure in a white dwarf can no longer counteract gravitational forces.
3. Stars exceeding this limit cannot remain as white dwarfs and will collapse into more compact objects like neutron stars or black holes.
4. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, an Indian-American physicist, first calculated this limit in 1930.
5. The existence of the Chandrasekhar limit helps explain why certain supernovae occur when massive stars reach their end-of-life stages.

Review Questions

• What is the value of the Chandrasekhar limit in terms of solar masses?
• What happens to a white dwarf if its mass exceeds the Chandrasekhar limit?
• Who first calculated the Chandrasekhar limit and in what year?

Related terms

White Dwarf:

A stellar remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter; it forms when a low-mass star exhausts its nuclear fuel.

Neutron Star:

An extremely dense stellar remnant left after a supernova explosion, primarily composed of neutrons.

Electron Degeneracy Pressure:

A quantum mechanical pressure created by electrons in dense matter, which supports white dwarfs against gravitational collapse.