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The Chandrasekhar limit is the maximum mass that a non-rotating astral body can have before gravitational collapse occurs. It is about 1.4 solar masses and is important in the analysis of star evolution. If a star’s core has less mass than the limit, it becomes a white dwarf, while more massive cores collapse to form neutron stars or black holes.
The Chandrasekhar limit is an important value in astrophysics. It is the mass limit at which a non-rotating astral body can no longer be supported by the pressure of the electron shells in its atoms and gravitational collapse occurs. The Chandrasekhar limit is about 1.4 solar masses, or 2.85×1030 kg. The use of the Chandrasekhar limit is fundamental in the analysis of the evolution and disappearance of stars.
The Chandrasekhar limit comes into play when the nuclear fuel in a star runs out. During the star’s normal life, the outward pressure of nuclear reactions counteracts the contracting force of gravity. Eventually, it consumes all of its hydrogen fuel and departs from the main sequence. From there it’s all downhill. The star fuses heavier and heavier nuclei until it either lacks the temperature and density in its core to fuse anything more, or the core turns into iron, which is the heavier fusion product that cannot be fused to produce more energy.
During the turbulent last million years of their lives, many stars expel most of their mass as the solar wind, leaving behind a much smaller core. If the core has a mass less than the Chandrasekhar limit, it will form a white dwarf, a body the size of Earth but with a mass similar to the Sun. If it has more mass than the Chandrasekhar limit, it will collapse to form a neutron star or a hole black, a process with the potential to initiate a supernova.
A neutron star is a clump of matter with so much density that it mostly consists only of neutrons pushed directly together. The negatively charged electrons and the positively charged protons combine to form neutral neutrons, and this forms all the matter in the star. A neutron star weighs more than our Sun but is about the size of a city, with a diameter of about 20 km.
The heaviest stars collapse to form black holes, points of zero volume and infinite density. These objects are adored by science fiction enthusiasts and theoretical physicists alike.
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