New mass limit for white dwarfs: super-Chandrasekhar type Ia supernova as a new standard candle

Abstract

Type Ia supernovae, sparked off by exploding white dwarfs of mass close to Chandrasekhar limit, play the key role to understand the expansion rate of universe. However, recent observations of several peculiar type Ia supernovae argue for its progenitor mass to be significantly super-Chandrasekhar. We show that strongly magnetized white dwarfs not only can violate the Chandrasekhar mass limit significantly, but exhibit a different mass limit. We establish from foundational level that the generic mass limit of white dwarfs is 2.58 solar mass. This explains the origin of over-luminous peculiar type Ia supernovae. Our finding further argues for a possible second standard candle, which has many far reaching implications, including a possible reconsideration of the expansion history of the universe.

7 pages including 2 figures and supplementary information; accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters

References in corpus (5)

• The type Ia supernova SNLS-03D3bb from a super-Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf star
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Cited by in corpus (10)

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• Modified Einstein's gravity as a possible missing link between sub- and super-Chandrasekhar type Ia supernovae
• GRMHD formulation of highly super-Chandrasekhar magnetized white dwarfs: stable configurations of non-spherical white dwarfs
• One possible solution of peculiar type Ia supernovae explosions caused by a charged white dwarf
• Mass-radius relation of strongly magnetized white dwarfs: nearly independent of Landau quantization
• Early ultraviolet emission in the Type Ia supernova LSQ12gdj: No evidence for ongoing shock interaction
• Revised density of magnetized nuclear matter at the neutron drip line
• Quark matter with strong magnetic field and possibility of the third family of compact stars
• Comments on "Strongly magnetized cold degenerate electron gas: Mass-radius relation of the magnetized white dwarf"