What physical constraint prevents the core from collapsing indefinitely once it reaches nuclear density?
Answer
The strong nuclear force between neutrons and protons becomes powerfully repulsive.
As the stellar core collapses past the point where electron degeneracy pressure fails, it continues compressing until the density rivals that of an atomic nucleus—a state termed nuclear density. At this extreme level of compaction, a fundamental physical interaction takes over: the strong nuclear force. This force, which acts between protons and neutrons, switches from being attractive (binding the nucleus) to being powerfully repulsive when matter is packed this tightly. This repulsive force acts as a hard wall, halting the inward march of matter and causing the inner core to overshoot slightly and rebound explosively.
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