What stellar mass threshold dictates whether a star ends its life via core collapse into a Type II supernova?
Answer
Masses exceeding about eight times the mass of the Sun
The catastrophic process of core collapse, which culminates in a Type II supernova explosion, is exclusive to truly massive stars. These are defined as stars that were born with initial masses significantly greater than that of our Sun. Specifically, the text indicates that this event marks the end stage for stars with masses exceeding approximately eight times the mass of the Sun. Stars below this threshold follow different evolutionary paths, as they do not possess the necessary mass to initiate the conditions required for iron core formation and subsequent gravitational collapse.
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