What happens if the remnant core mass exceeds the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) limit?
Answer
Neutron degeneracy pressure is overcome, and nothing halts the collapse.
If the core exceeds the TOV limit, estimated around 2 to 3 solar masses for the remnant, neutron degeneracy pressure fails, allowing gravity to compress the matter indefinitely into a black hole.
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