Stellar equilibrium and the existence of a maximum mass of stars

Abstract

The simultaneous occurrence of Virial and hydrostatic equilibrium determine the existence of solutions for the simplest stellar models. Using these concepts we show how it is possible to characterize the end of the stellar sequence by observing the behavior of the gas and radiation pressures, and point out that the extracted value coincides, within uncertainties, with the maximum mass directly inferred for actual stars.

Keywords:
Virial equilibrium; stars; hydrostatic equilibrium