Supernova limit shattered by hidden magnetic fields
Computer simulations show magnetic fields let white dwarfs exceed the Chandrasekhar limit, reaching 2.4 times the Sun's mass.
A long-standing rule in physics said dead stars could not grow heavier than approximately 1.4 times the Sun's mass. The Chandrasekhar limit was thought to be absolute.
New computer simulations by researchers at India's Indian Institute of Science show it might not be. Powerful magnetic fields hidden inside dying stars can push back against crushing gravity hard enough to let them keep gaining mass.
In one simulation, a dead star reached approximately 2.4 times the Sun's mass - substantially heavier than the old limit allowed. This discovery could explain why some supernovae shine much brighter than expected.
The findings challenge decades of understanding about how massive dead stars behave.
- 1.4 times the Sun's mass
- Old mass limit
- 2.4 times the Sun's mass
- Simulated mass reached
- Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
- Research institution
- The Astrophysical Journal Letters
- Published in
Why it mattersThis changes how astronomers measure the most distant galaxies and events in the universe, since supernovae are used as distance markers.
AustraliaNo direct impact on Australia, but Australian astronomers studying supernovae and distant galaxies will need to reconsider their models.
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