What process converts protons and electrons into neutrons during the core collapse of a massive star?
Answer
Inverse beta decay
The extreme conditions generated during the catastrophic gravitational collapse of the stellar core overcome the fundamental forces that normally keep atomic components separate. As the core implodes, the immense pressure forces the constituent particles into a novel state. Specifically, electrons are driven into protons, resulting in the formation of neutrons. This transformation is identified in physics literature as inverse beta decay. This process is crucial because the subsequent abundance of neutrons is what forms the ultra-compact remnant, provided the mass remains within the necessary bounds to prevent complete collapse into a singularity.
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