What catastrophic core event initiates the Type II supernova explosion in a massive star?
Answer
The catastrophic collapse following the formation of an iron core, which consumes energy instead of releasing it
Massive stars are capable of fusing progressively heavier elements in shells around their core—carbon, neon, oxygen, and silicon. This element-building process terminates when the core transforms into iron. Unlike the fusion of lighter elements which releases vast amounts of energy to support the star against gravity, the process of fusing iron actually consumes energy. Once the iron core forms, it can no longer generate the necessary outward pressure. This leads to a rapid, catastrophic collapse of the core in mere milliseconds, which rebounds violently to create a Type II supernova explosion.
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