What is the minimum mass requirement for a star to undergo a Core Collapse supernova event?
At least eight times the mass of our Sun
The core collapse supernova pathway is exclusive to truly massive stars, differentiating them significantly from the progenitor stars of Type Ia explosions. For a star to generate enough gravitational pressure to eventually overcome the energy output of sustained nuclear fusion and trigger a core collapse, its initial mass must be substantial. The text specifies that this catastrophic event marks the end for stars that possess at least eight times the mass of our Sun. Below this threshold, stars typically evolve into white dwarfs after exhausting their fuel. Only stars massive enough can fuse elements all the way up to iron in their cores, leading to the subsequent sudden loss of outward pressure and the rapid, catastrophic implosion that defines core collapse.
