Chandrasekhar limit & Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit

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In summary, when discussing the limiting mass of a non-rotating body of electron-degenerate matter, there are two different limits to consider: the Chandrasekhar limit for relativistic electrons and the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit for relativistic neutrons. These limits have different equations of state due to the access to different types of physics available to neutrons. While there is a chance of micro black holes forming in the LHC, the energy level is too low for this to occur. The minimum energy necessary for a microscopic black hole to form is about 10e+19 GeV, which would require a much larger circular accelerator than the LHC. Some theories suggest that higher dimensional space could allow for the
  • #1
Astro.padma
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A non-rotating body of electron-degenerate matter above a certain limiting mass must have an infinite density. Now my question is : Why is it resulted as 1.4 times the solar mass in Chandrasekhar limit whereas things finally settled at 3 times the solar mass owing to the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit?? Could anyone please tell me what had brought the change in result of the later one??

and one more thing ... Which is considered as the correct one?? Thank you :)
 
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  • #2
A non-rotating body of electron-degenerate matter above a certain limiting mass must have an infinite density

Where did you get that idea?
 
  • #3
The lower limit is for degenerate electrons, the latter is for degenerate neutrons. Your question is actually a good one, because both electrons and neutrons need to go relativistic before these limits are reached, and at first glance you might think that electrons and neutrons would behave more or less the same once they are relativistic. But neutrons have access to other types of physics than electrons do, so that's one reason their "equation of state" is different from electrons, even when both are relativistic (in fact, the neutron equation of state is not well known).
 
  • #4
mathman said:
Where did you get that idea?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hole ... Thats when I was going through the Wiki of Black Hole. If you really want to know, you can go to the "General Relativity" section in that page.
 
  • #5
Ken G said:
The lower limit is for degenerate electrons, the latter is for degenerate neutrons. Your question is actually a good one, because both electrons and neutrons need to go relativistic before these limits are reached, and at first glance you might think that electrons and neutrons would behave more or less the same once they are relativistic. But neutrons have access to other types of physics than electrons do, so that's one reason their "equation of state" is different from electrons, even when both are relativistic (in fact, the neutron equation of state is not well known).

Thanks for the explanation sir :) So you say that both of them are correct and the 1st limit is for electrons whereas the 2nd one is for neutrons. KindlyLet me know if I got it anywhere wrong !
 
  • #6
Astro.padma said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hole ... Thats when I was going through the Wiki of Black Hole. If you really want to know, you can go to the "General Relativity" section in that page.
Since quantum theory is not taken into account, there is a problem in determining what actually happens. Attempts to reconcile G.R. with quantum theory end up with nonsense.
 
  • #7
Heard that there is a chance of micro black holes forming in the LHC working @ CERN but got to know that they don't usually and even if they form, they get evaporated within nano seconds. But I have no idea why there is a chance of micro black holes forming in the LHC. Could anyone please tell me why.
 
  • #8
Mini black holes will not be produced by the LHC. The energy level is far too low. Were this untrue, we would be bombarded by mini black holes created by high energy cosmic ray collisions with the upper atmosphere.
 
  • #9
Chronos said:
Mini black holes will not be produced by the LHC. The energy level is far too low.

Yeah...but could you please tell me what's the minimum energy level for mini black holes to form?
 
  • #10
In three dimensional space, the minimum energy necessary to form a microscopic black hole is about 10e+19 GeV. This would require a modern circular accelerator about 1000 light years in diameter. The low energy limit estimates [~ 1 TEV] for forming mini black holes assume higher dimensional space where gravity in the 'extra' dimensions can be much stronger. The LHC has found no evidence to date suggesting the existence of 'extra' dimensions.
 
  • #11
Chronos said:
In three dimensional space, the minimum energy necessary to form a microscopic black hole is about 10e+19 GeV. This would require a modern circular accelerator about 1000 light years in diameter. The low energy limit estimates [~ 1 TEV] for forming mini black holes assume higher dimensional space where gravity in the 'extra' dimensions can be much stronger. The LHC has found no evidence to date suggesting the existence of 'extra' dimensions.

Thanks Chronos...everything has become clear to me except that "extra dimensions" . Could you please explain this extra dimensions thingy?? :tongue2:
 
  • #12
Astro.padma said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hole ... Thats when I was going through the Wiki of Black Hole. If you really want to know, you can go to the "General Relativity" section in that page.

Bad explanation. But thanks to the wonders of wiki-dom, I've changed it.

Also the Chandrasekar calculations doesn't use general relativity. Special relativity is enough.
 

1. What is the Chandrasekhar limit?

The Chandrasekhar limit is the maximum mass that a white dwarf star can have before it collapses under its own gravity. It was first calculated by Indian astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar in 1930.

2. How is the Chandrasekhar limit calculated?

The Chandrasekhar limit is calculated using a combination of the mass of the star and its composition. It is typically expressed in terms of solar masses, with the limit being around 1.4 times the mass of the Sun.

3. What happens if a white dwarf exceeds the Chandrasekhar limit?

If a white dwarf exceeds the Chandrasekhar limit, it will collapse under its own gravity and undergo a supernova explosion. This is because the pressure from the degenerate electrons that support the white dwarf's structure is no longer enough to counteract the force of gravity.

4. What is the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit?

The Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit is the maximum mass that a neutron star can have before it collapses into a black hole. It was first calculated by Richard Tolman, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and George Volkoff in 1939.

5. How does the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit compare to the Chandrasekhar limit?

The Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit is significantly higher than the Chandrasekhar limit, with a value of around 2-3 solar masses. This is because neutron stars are much denser than white dwarfs and can support more mass before collapsing. However, both limits serve as important boundaries for understanding the behavior of compact stellar objects.

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