White dwarf structure in $f(R,T,L_m)$ gravity: beyond the Chandrasekhar mass limit

TL;DR

This paper explores how a modified gravity theory affects white dwarf stars, showing that it can explain super-Chandrasekhar masses and constrains the theory using observational data.

Contribution

It introduces a non-minimal matter-curvature coupling in $f(R,T,L_m)$ gravity and demonstrates its impact on white dwarf mass-radius relations and stability.

Findings

Modified gravity allows stable super-Chandrasekhar white dwarfs.

The maximum mass of white dwarfs can increase or decrease depending on the coupling parameter.

Observational data constrains the coupling parameter $oldsymbol{eta}$.

Abstract

In this work, we investigate the relativistic structure of white dwarfs (WDs) within the framework of modified gravity theory $f(R, T, L_m) = R + \alpha T L_m$, which introduces a non-minimal coupling between matter and curvature. Using a realistic equation of state (EoS) that includes contributions from a relativistic degenerate electron gas and ionic lattice effects, we solve the modified Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) equations for two standard choices of the matter Lagrangian density: $L_m = p$ and $L_m = -\rho$. We show that the extra $\alpha TL_m$ term significantly alters the mass-radius relation of WDs, especially at high central densities $( \rho_c \gtrsim 10^8 - 10^9\,\rm g/cm^3)$, allowing for stable super-Chandrasekhar configurations. In particular, depending on the sign and magnitude of the parameter $\alpha$, the maximum mass can increase or decrease, and in some regimes, the usual critical point indicating the transition from stability to instability disappears. Our findings suggest that $f(R,T,L_m)$ gravity provides a viable framework to explain the existence of massive WDs beyond the classical Chandrasekhar limit. Using Bayesian inference with WD observational data, we further constrain the coupling parameter $\alpha$ for the two choices of the Lagrangian density $L_m$.