What is the mass threshold in $M_\odot$ determining if a star evolves into a Red Giant or a Red Supergiant?
Answer
Between $0.3$ and $8 M_\odot$ for Red Giant precursor
Stellar evolution paths bifurcate based on initial mass after core hydrogen depletion. Stars born with low or intermediate masses, specifically those ranging from about $0.3$ times the mass of the Sun up to approximately $8$ times the mass of the Sun ($M_\odot$), follow the evolutionary track leading to the Red Giant phase. Stars significantly more massive than this $8 M_\odot$ threshold, which burn fuel much faster, evolve into Red Supergiants instead. This mass threshold is the fundamental determinant separating the milder, longer late-life stages of smaller stars from the catastrophic, rapid end-of-life processes seen in the heaviest stars.
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