What critical mass limit, often cited, signals the end of the balancing act when the iron core collapses?
Answer
The Chandrasekhar limit
The end of sustainable stellar life occurs when the iron core accumulates mass past a certain tipping point, known as the Chandrasekhar limit. Once this limit is reached, the nuclear processes that sustained the star cease to function because fusing iron consumes energy. Without the continuous generation of outward thermal energy, gravity instantaneously overwhelms the core's internal support structures. This failure initiates a catastrophic, rapid implosion where the Earth-sized iron core begins to collapse inward at speeds approaching a quarter of the speed of light.
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