Chandrasekhar Calculates the Upper Limit of a White Dwarf Star’s Mass
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History II: Science and Technology Series
- Categories: Science
- Subcategories: Mathematics, Mathematicians, Scientists, Astronomy, Astronomers, Cosmology
- Curriculum: 20th & 21st Century European History, British History, Asian History
- Geographical Location: England, South Asia, India
- Date: 1931-1935
Article abstract: Chandrasekhar developed a mathematically rigorous theory of the structure of white dwarf stars, which indicated that their maximum mass is 1.4 solar masses.
Summary of Event
White dwarf stars have challenged and perplexed astronomers since their accidental discovery in the mid-nineteenth century. The German astronomer Friedrich Bessel noted a wobble in the path of the star Sirius as it moved across the sky. After eliminating recognizable sources of error, in 1844, he concluded that there must be a small companion star which affected the...
[The entire page is 2009 words long]
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