What specific pressure mechanism is responsible for halting the gravitational collapse to form a Neutron Star?
Answer
Neutron degeneracy pressure.
When the collapsing iron core shrinks past a certain point, the density becomes so extreme that the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics intervene to resist further compression. In the case of a remnant less massive than the upper limit (about three solar masses), this resistance comes from neutron degeneracy pressure. This pressure arises because neutrons, being fermions, cannot occupy the same quantum state, thus exerting a powerful outward force that manages to counteract the overwhelming gravitational pull, leading to the stable, albeit bizarre, structure of a neutron star.
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