Which mechanism causes the collapse in stars with initial masses between $9$ and $10 M_ ext{ extdollar}$ that form an $ ext{O+Ne+Mg}$ core?
Answer
Electron capture
In stars whose cores do not reach pure iron but instead form degenerate cores of oxygen, neon, and magnesium, the process of electron capture—where electrons are squeezed into protons—robs the core of its supporting pressure, leading to collapse.
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