What remnant forms if a core collapse remnant exceeds two solar masses?

An unstoppable collapse leading to a black hole.

The fate of the core following a Type II supernova depends critically on the mass remaining after the outer layers have been ejected. If the resulting neutron core weighs less than approximately two solar masses, the immense repulsive forces generated by the tightly packed neutrons, known as neutron degeneracy pressure, are sufficient to halt the gravitational implosion, leaving behind an ultra-dense neutron star. However, if the mass of this remnant core surpasses this higher threshold—roughly two solar masses—even the powerful repulsion between the packed neutrons cannot counteract the relentless pull of gravity. In this scenario, the collapse continues indefinitely until the entire mass is compressed into a singularity, forming a black hole, a state from which nothing, not even light, can escape.