{
  "id": 13164811,
  "title": "Strong magnetic fields could allow white dwarfs to grow beyond the Chandrasekhar limit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/strong-magnetic-fields-could-allow-white-dwarfs-to-grow-beyond-the",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-09T17:20:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-10-strong-magnetic-fields-white-dwarfs.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "When a dying star exhausts its fuel and sheds its outer layers, the remaining core can become a compact stellar remnant known as a white dwarf. For a non-magnetized white dwarf, there exists a well-defined maximum mass, the Chandrasekhar limit, around 1.4 times the mass of the sun. As a carbon-oxygen white dwarf nears this limit, its core can become dense enough to ignite carbon, potentially culminating in a thermonuclear explosion called a Type Ia supernova. If the Chandrasekhar limit remains constant, the supernova's energy release and luminosity should remain constant as well. Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and collaborators have now demonstrated through simulations that strong internal magnetic fields could permit some white dwarfs to exceed the Chandrasekhar limit significantly. One simulated magnetized carbon-oxygen white dwarf reached approximately 2.4 times the mass of the sun, far surpassing the limit. This possibility was first considered in 2011 by a summer student, who posed the question of whether magnetic fields could violate the Chandrasekhar limit. Subsequent simulations by the IISc team allowed them to trace the evolution of magnetized stars from their main-sequence phase to white dwarf status, showing that under certain conditions, this pathway is indeed feasible. By incorporating magnetic field effects into a star evolution model, the researchers found that a weak initial magnetic field could strengthen over time due to increasing mass, providing additional support against gravity and allowing the star to support more mass. In one scenario, a 1.02-solar-mass carbon-oxygen white dwarf, initially formed from an 8-solar-mass main-sequence star, gained mass at a rate of 10⁻⁹ solar masses per year and reached a mass limit of about 2.4 solar masses in the magnetized model, compared to only 1.4 solar masses in the nonmagnetized model. The simulations also suggest that some larger-than-expected white dwarfs may be due to magnetic field effects. These findings could have implications for Type Ia supernovae, as their luminosity and the progenitor white dwarf's mass could vary if the progenitors exhibit substantial magnetic properties.",
  "summary": "When a dying star runs out of fuel and sheds its outer layers, its remaining core can become an approximately Earth-sized, extremely dense stellar remnant called a white dwarf. For a white dwarf that is not strongly rotating or magnetized, there is a well-known upper mass limit of about 1.4 times the mass of the sun, known as the Chandrasekhar limit.",
  "key_points": [
    "Strong internal magnetic fields could allow white dwarfs to exceed Chandrasekhar limit.",
    "Simulations show magnetized carbon-oxygen white dwarf reached 2.4 solar masses.",
    "Magnetic field effects could explain larger-than-expected white dwarfs."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "IISc study says strong magnetic fields could allow white dwarfs to grow beyond the Chandrasekhar limit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/iisc-study-says-strong-magnetic-fields-could-allow-white-dwarfs-to",
        "published": "2026-10-09T14:51:58.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}