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of White Dwarf

The document discusses white dwarfs and the Chandrasekhar limit, detailing stellar evolution, statistical distributions, and the theoretical framework of white dwarfs as degenerate Fermi gas systems. It highlights the maximum stable mass of a white dwarf at 1.44 solar masses, which is critical for understanding stellar collapse and supernovae. Applications of this knowledge span cosmic distance measurement, galactic structure, and gravitational wave detection.

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148 views15 pages

of White Dwarf

The document discusses white dwarfs and the Chandrasekhar limit, detailing stellar evolution, statistical distributions, and the theoretical framework of white dwarfs as degenerate Fermi gas systems. It highlights the maximum stable mass of a white dwarf at 1.44 solar masses, which is critical for understanding stellar collapse and supernovae. Applications of this knowledge span cosmic distance measurement, galactic structure, and gravitational wave detection.

Uploaded by

r00154642
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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You are on page 1/ 15

WHITE DWARF AND

CHANDRASEKHAR LIMIT
BY: SUPRIYA SASWATI SINGH
GUIDED BY: DR. DEBADEEPTI MISHRA
20/03/2025

Ramadevi Women’s University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha


1
CONTENT
Introduction
Stellar Evolution
Statistical Distribution
Model of White Dwarf
Theory of White Dwarf
Chandrasekhar limit
Conclusion
Application
Bibliography
2
INTRODUCTION
STARS
 Stars are Luminous celestial body.
 HRD is a plot b/w brightness and temperature of star.
MAIN SEQUENCE
 Star spends most of its life
 Use up hydrogen from their core to form helium
RED GIANTS AND RED SUPERGIANTS
 They use hydrogen from core
 Leads to increase in radius
 They expand, cool down
 Temperature change leads to color change
WHITE DWARF
 Remaining core of dead star.
 Has low temperature and high density
 Core contain helium only.
 Russel-Hertzprung Diagram
Considered as a degenerate Fermi gas system
 Behaves as electron gas at absolute zero
 Exert zero-point pressure
 Gravitational energy balance the pressure

3
STELLAR EVOLUTION
Lower mass stars Higher mass star

Red giants Super red giants

Planetary nebula Supernovae explosion

White dwarf Neutron star

Neutron star Black hole

Black hole

4
To describe a bulk system , Statistical
model is the best approach.

04/01/2025
6
STATISTICAL DISTRIBUTIONS
Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution
• Distinguishable
• Spin less
• Don’t obey both Pauli’s Exclusion Principle and
Heiseignburg Uncertainty Principle

Bose-Einstein Distribution
• Indistinguishable
• Integral Spin plot of comparison between Maxwell-
• Obey Heiseignburg Uncertainty Principle but don’t follow Boltzmann, Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac
Distribution
Pauli’s Exclusion Principle

Fermi-Dirac Distribution
• Indistinguishable
• Half Integral Spin
• Obey both Pauli’s Exclusion Principle and Heiseignburg
Uncertainty Principle

7
MODEL OF WHITE DWARF
 An idealised Fermi gas model is considered as a degenerate
fermi gas system
 Content: mostly helium
 Mass 1033g Mʘ
 Density 107g/cm3
 Central temperature 107 K
 Volume similar to earth.

8
Theory of White Dwarf
 The equation of state for Fermi gas system is given as

 Work done to compress the star = gravitational energy

 The electron degeneracy pressure is

this equation gives condition for equilibrium.

9
THE EQULIBRIUM CONDITIONS FOR DIFFERENT CASES
 Case 1: for temperature of electron gas > Temperature of Fermi gas

It is never applicable for a white dwarf star.


 Case 2: for electron gas at low density

It is valid for small M and large R.


 Case 3: for electron gas at high density

It is applicable for white dwarf.


The equation gives the limiting mass of white dwarf i.e. found
out to be

After rigorous calculation mass limit is observed to be


= 1.44 Mʘ
10
CHANDRASEKHAR LIMIT
 The maximum mass up to which white dwarf is
stable
 Mass = 1.44 Mʘ
 Mechanism responsible for stellar collapse
 Equation of state of a relativistically degenerate
electron gas is used
 Leads to unique value for the mass of a star
 The mass represent upper limit of the mass of
an ideal white dwarf
11
CONCLUSION
In a binary system
 Influx of matter from companion star
 When mass exceeds Chandrasekhar limit, ground
state pressure become less
 Star undergo gravitational collapse
 Leads to type la supernovae explosion
 The remnant form neutron star
 When mass > 3.4 times solar mass, neutron star
change to Black hole
12
APPLICATION
Cosmic Distance Ladder
Stellar evolution
Galactic Structure
Planetary system evolution
Gravitational wave source
Dark matter detection
Atomic clock
Navigation in space
13
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 S. Chandrasekhar, “The maximum mass of ideal white dwarfs”,
apj, Vol 74, 1931, pages-81
 S. Chandrasekhar, (1931)“The density of white dwarf stars”,
The London, Edinburgh and Dublin Philosophical Magazine
and Journal of Science, 11(70), 592-596
 R.K. Pathria, Paul D. Beale, Statistical Mechanics
 Kerson Huang, Introduction to Statistical Physics
 Philosophical magazine, 9, 994, 1930
 H. Y. Chiyu and P. Morrison, phys.Rev. Lett.5, 573(1960).

14
ANY QUERRIES ?

15
THANK YOU

16

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