What is the ultimate arbiter of a star's life cycle and final fate?
Answer
Its initial mass
The fate of a star is inextricably linked to its initial mass, which dictates whether it will become a white dwarf or undergo a core-collapse supernova.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ultimate arbiter of a star's life cycle and final fate?When a massive star's core fuses elements up to which specific element does fusion cease supporting the star against gravity?What physical process describes the merging of protons and electrons into neutrons during the rapid core implosion?What ultimately halts the inward infall of the core when it reaches nuclear densities?For a star that undergoes core-collapse, which remnant object forms if the resulting core mass is between approximately $1.4 M_ ext{sun}$ and $3 M_ ext{sun}$?What fundamentally distinguishes Type Ia supernovae from the core-collapse supernovae of high-mass stars?What characteristic defines a Type II supernova, distinguishing it from Type Ib or Ic?Why is the final mass of a star at the moment of core collapse sometimes more important than its initial birth mass?What is the mechanism that causes the outward explosion in a core-collapse supernova?According to the provided table, which final fate is possible for a star beginning life with an initial mass greater than $25 M_ ext{sun}$?