Chandrasekhar limit

[shahn-druh-sey-kahr]

noun

Astronomy.

1. the mass limit above which a star has too much mass to become a white dwarf after gravitational collapse, approximately 1.44 solar masses.

Chandrasekhar limit

noun

1. astronomy the upper limit to the mass of a white dwarf, equal to 1.44 solar masses. A star having a mass above this limit will continue to collapse to form a neutron star

Chandrasekhar limit

1. The maximum size of a stable white dwarf, approximately 3 × 10 ³⁰ kg (about 1.4 times the mass of the Sun). Stars with mass higher than the Chandrasekhar limit ultimately collapse under their own weight and become neutron stars or black holes. Stars with a mass below this limit are prevented from collapsing by the degeneracy pressure of their electrons.

2. See more at degeneracy pressure

Word History and Origins

Origin of Chandrasekhar limit¹

First recorded in 1975–80; named after U.S. astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar ( def. ), who formulated it

Word History and Origins

Origin of Chandrasekhar limit¹

C20: named after S. _{Chandrasekhar} , who calculated it