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What determines whether a core-collapse supernova leaves a neutron star or a black hole?
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Supernova
Composite image of Kepler's Nova, or Kepler's Supernova, taken by the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
The final product of a core-collapse supernova is primarily determined by the mass of the star's collapsing core.12
During the collapse, the core's density increases significantly. If the core's mass is below a certain thresholdâthought to be approximately three solar massesâthe collapse is eventually halted by the rising pressure of neutrons, resulting in the formation of a neutron star.12
However, if the collapsing core exceeds this mass limit, neutron pressure is insufficient to stop the contraction. In such cases, the core continues to collapse until it becomes a black hole, an object so dense that its gravitational pull prevents even light from escaping its Schwarzschild radius.12