B Maximum weight of a Neutron star

[wolram]

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180116093650.htm

This article gives a maximum weight of 2.16 solar masses, and an infinitesimal addition would turn it into a Black hole. I can not find a paper to support this article so do you think it is correct?

 

[NFuller]

The paper is linked at the bottom of the page http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aaa401/meta

The result is reasonable since theoretical constructions tend to give a maximum mass of less than 3 solar masses.

 

[ianchristie]

"an infinitesimal addition would turn it into a Black hole."

Be careful about reading more into an article or paper than is actually there. The article says "with an accuracy of a few percent". A few percent could mean 5% and 5% of 2.16 solar masses is about 0.1 solar masses, hardly an infinitesimal amount.

 

[alantheastronomer]

It depends on what Equation of State you use.I prefer a very "stiff" equation of state strictly constrained by the Pauli Exclusion Principle applied to neutrons. Given a neutron star at neutron densities a neutron star of about 5 solar masses would turn into a black hole, so this is the upper mass limit for a neutron star I would use.

 

[stefan r]

The paper is linked at the bottom of the page http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aaa401/meta

The result is reasonable since theoretical constructions tend to give a maximum mass of less than 3 solar masses.

No need for login at arxive.org. Title and a few authors usually pops up a link.

"an infinitesimal addition would turn it into a Black hole."

Be careful about reading more into an article or paper than is actually there. The article says "with an accuracy of a few percent". A few percent could mean 5% and 5% of 2.16 solar masses is about 0.1 solar masses, hardly an infinitesimal amount.

Consider what happens if you step over the edge of a cliff. I could tell you to "watch out for the pit over yonder... about 200 meters ±10m". You can walk up to the edge of a pit and stick your toes over and wiggle them. The ±10m uncertainty in my statement was the location. At the edge a small fraction of a step will lead to a a serious accident. Dancing 5 meters from a fall hazard would not be dangerous.

 

[Martin0001]

It depends.
Rotating neutron star would be stabilized by its angular momentum and could be significantly heavier than stationary one before collapse proceeds. One way or another it is unlikely that anything over 3 solar masses would last for long.