What is the Eddington limit for any object?
A) The mass beyond which the gravitational force on an accretion disk overcomes the rotational motion due to conservation of angular momentum
B) The speed of light
C) The maximum pressure that the electrons,nuclei,and photons in the object can withstand before the object collapses into a black hole
D) The luminosity beyond which the outward force due to radiation pressure on matter exceeds the inward force due to gravity

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Eddington limit is defined as the maximum luminosity (rate at which energy is emitted) that can be sustained by an object before the radiation pressure from the emitted energy overcomes the gravitational force holding the object together. At this point, the outward force due to radiation pressure exceeds the inward force due to gravity, leading to potential disruption or fragmentation of the object. This limit was first derived by Arthur Eddington in 1920 and is particularly relevant for understanding the behavior of stars and black holes.

What Is the Eddington Limit for Any Object