Mastodawn

Robert McNees Jan 11, 2023

Young astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar presented his results on electron degeneracy pressure and the maximum mass of a stable white dwarf star to a meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society #OTD in 1935.

This maximum mass is now known as the "Chandrasekhar Limit." It is about 1.4 M☉, or 3 x 10³⁰ kg.

Below this mass a spent star settles down into a stable white dwarf. More massive stars continue to collapse, eventually becoming neutron stars or black holes.

Photo: Getty Images

Robert McNees Jan 11, 2023

You can see the original summary of Chandrasekhar's presentation in this issue of "The Observatory."

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1935Obs....58...33./abstract

Edward Arthur Milne immediately spoke up after Chandra’s presentation to say he was working on the same problem and had obtained similar results.

1035 January 11 meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society

NASA/ADS

Robert McNees Jan 11, 2023

The issue also contains the entirety of Sir Arthur Eddington's ambush on his young protege, delivered in the next talk.

A few excerpts:

@mcnees - the fucker. I had no idea.