Effects of strong magnetic fields and rotation on white dwarf structure

TL;DR

This paper models relativistic white dwarfs with strong magnetic fields and rotation, exploring their maximum masses and magnetic field strengths, which could explain super-luminous supernovae Type Ia.

Contribution

It provides self-consistent numerical models of magnetized, rotating white dwarfs using Einstein-Maxwell equations, revealing their maximum masses and magnetic field limits.

Findings

Maximum static magnetized white dwarf mass: 2.13 solar masses (Newtonian), 2.09 (relativistic)

Maximum magnetic field strength at center: 10^15 G (static), 10^14 G (rotating)

Rotating models can reach super-Chandrasekhar masses relevant for super-luminous supernovae

Abstract

In this work we compute models for relativistic white dwarfs in the presence of strong magnetic fields. These models possibly contribute to super-luminous SNIa. With an assumed axi-symmetric and poloidal magnetic field, we study the possibility of existence of super-Chandrasekhar magnetized white dwarfs by solving numerically the Einstein-Maxwell equations, by means of a pseudo-spectral method. We obtain a self-consistent rotating and non-rotating magnetized white dwarf models. According to our results, a maximum mass for a static magnetized white dwarf is 2.13 $\rm{M_{\odot}}$ in the Newtonian case and 2.09 $\rm{M_{\odot}}$ while taking into account general relativistic effects. Furthermore, we present results for rotating magnetized white dwarfs. The maximum magnetic field strength reached at the center of white dwarfs is of the order of $10^{15}\,$G in the static case, whereas for magnetized white dwarfs, rotating with the Keplerian angular velocity, is of the order of $10^{14}\,$G.