What phase is described as the transient, unstable state immediately preceding a supernova explosion in a massive star?
Answer
The 'iron star' state.
The term 'iron star' refers to a specific, short-lived, and highly unstable intermediate condition that exists momentarily in a massive star's final moments. This state is reached after the core has consumed all its usable fuel by fusing elements up to iron ($ ext{Fe}^{56}$), thus losing its outward thermal pressure support against gravity. It is the condition just before the core begins its rapid implosion, making it the immediate precursor to the supernova event. During this phase, the core is entirely composed of iron and is moments away from the catastrophic structural failure that will lead to the Type II supernova explosion.
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