Chandrasekhar limit

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | 454 words | Copyright

Chandrasekhar limit The maximum possible mass of a degenerate star, above which it will be unable to support itself against the inward pull of its own gravity. For a star with no hydrogen content the limit is 1.44 solar masses, which is thus the maximum possible mass for a white dwarf. A degenerate star with a mass greater than this limit would collapse under gravity to become either a neutron star or a black hole. It is named after S.Chandrasekhar.

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