Explore the Eddington Luminosity Limit, a critical concept in astrophysics describing the maximum brightness a star or accretion disk can achieve. Our calculator helps you understand stellar stability, black hole accretion, and the intense forces at play in cosmic phenomena. Perfect for students and researchers.
Formula:
The Eddington Luminosity Limit (LEdd) defines the maximum luminosity a body (like a star or an accreting black hole) can emit, beyond which the outward radiation pressure would exceed the inward gravitational force, causing its outer layers to be expelled.
The formula is given by:
LEdd = (4 π G M mp c) / σT
Where:
- LEdd: Eddington Luminosity (Watts)
- G: Gravitational Constant (6.674 × 10-11 N m2/kg2)
- M: Mass of the celestial body (kg)
- mp: Proton Mass (1.672 × 10-27 kg)
- c: Speed of Light (2.998 × 108 m/s)
- σT: Thomson Scattering Cross-section (6.652 × 10-29 m2)
For convenience, this is often approximated as: LEdd ≈ 1.26 × 1031 (M / Msun) Watts, where Msun is the mass of the Sun.