ATRONOMY – TELLAR PHYIC (48) CALCULATOR
Chandrasekhar Mass
A precise tool.
What is the Chandrasekhar Mass & How does it work?
White dwarfs are the compact remnants of lowβ and intermediateβmass stars. Their support against gravity comes from electron degeneracy pressure, a quantum mechanical effect that becomes dominant when the stellar material is compressed to densities exceeding 10^6β―gβ―cmβ»Β³.
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar showed that there is a maximum mass that a cold, nonβrotating, electronβdegenerate core can sustain. Beyond this limit the pressure can no longer balance gravity and the star collapses, leading to a neutron star or a black hole. This critical value is called the Chandrasekhar mass limit.
The limit depends primarily on the composition of the white dwarf through ΞΌ_e. For a carbonβoxygen core (ΞΌ_eβ2) the limit is about 1.44β―M_β, while a helium core gives a similar value. The simple expression above is widely used in astrophysics to estimate the fate of dying stars.
M_{\text{Ch}} = \frac{5.83}{\mu_e^{2}}\,M_{\odot}
ΞΌ_e = mean molecular weight per electron (dimensionless)
Parameters
Result
β
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Chandrasekhar mass?
The Chandrasekhar mass is the maximum mass a cold, non-rotating electron-degenerate core can sustain before collapsing into a neutron star.
How does the Chandrasekhar mass relate to white dwarfs?
White dwarfs are supported against gravity by electron degeneracy pressure. If they exceed the Chandrasekhar mass, they collapse beyond this limit.
What happens if a white dwarf exceeds the Chandrasekhar mass?
If a white dwarf's mass surpasses the Chandrasekhar limit, it collapses into a neutron star or black hole due to gravitational forces overwhelming electron degeneracy pressure.
Can the Chandrasekhar mass be calculated for different types of stars?
The Chandrasekhar mass is specific to cold, non-rotating white dwarfs. It does not apply directly to other types of stars or stellar remnants.
What is the value of the Chandrasekhar mass in solar masses?
The Chandrasekhar mass is approximately 1.44 solar masses.
How does electron degeneracy pressure prevent collapse in white dwarfs?
Electron degeneracy pressure arises from the quantum mechanical Pauli exclusion principle, which prevents electrons from occupying the same quantum state, thus resisting further compression under gravity.
Is there a limit to how massive a neutron star can be?
Yes, beyond a certain point, even neutron degeneracy pressure cannot support a star's mass, leading to the formation of a black hole, known as the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit.
Results are for informational purposes only and do not constitute professional advice.