What density level does the collapsing core reach before halting to form a nascent neutron star?
Answer
The density of an atomic nucleus
The gravitational collapse of the iron core proceeds until the matter is compressed to an almost incomprehensible degree. The collapse halts when the density reaches that comparable to the density found within an atomic nucleus itself. At this extreme compaction, the core material, now composed almost entirely of neutrons packed together via the resistance governed by Pauli exclusion principles, becomes incredibly rigid, effectively forming a stable, nascent neutron star whose mass is generally held between 1.4 and 2.5 solar masses.
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