What mass threshold, relative to the Sun, is typically required for a star to achieve core temperatures needed to forge iron?
Answer
Typically exceeding about eight solar masses
The ability of a star to progress through successive fusion stages past helium—specifically igniting carbon fusion after helium depletion—is entirely dependent on its initial mass. Stars that are low in mass, such as our Sun, contract after helium burning but never reach the necessary core temperatures and pressures to ignite carbon fusion. To reach the temperature required for carbon ignition, which is the first step on the pathway toward iron synthesis, a star must possess a significantly large initial mass, generally cited as exceeding approximately eight times the mass of the Sun.
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