Sciencespace
Strong Magnetic Fields Could Let White Dwarfs Exceed Chandrasekhar Limit
When a dying star runs out of fuel and sheds its outer layers, its remaining core forms an Earth-sized, extremely dense stellar remnant known as a white dwarf. For white dwarfs lacking strong rotation or magnetism, a well-established mass threshold exists called the Chandrasekhar limit, which sits at roughly 1.4 solar masses. However, recent scientific inquiry suggests that intense magnetic fields might alter these rules. Understanding how magnetic forces impact these stellar bodies is crucial for astrophysics, potentially reshaping how scientists measure cosmic distances using type Ia supernovae.