What stops the collapse after a massive star exhausts its nuclear fuel, leading to a supernova?
Answer
The core can no longer generate outward pressure to counteract gravity.
A supernova occurs when the star's core completely runs out of nuclear fuel. This cessation of fusion means the core can no longer produce the necessary outward thermal pressure required to balance the immense, ever-present inward crushing force exerted by the star's massive gravitational pull. Without this counteracting pressure, gravity gains absolute dominance, initiating the catastrophic and rapid implosion that leads to the supernova event.
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