What process generates the shockwave that tears the star apart in a supernova explosion?
Answer
The inward core collapse overcoming outward pressure
When iron fusion ceases, the outward thermal pressure vanishes, allowing gravity to cause a rapid core collapse. This collapse generates a powerful shockwave that results in the supernova explosion.
Related Questions
What physical event marks the turning point causing a massive star's core to collapse?What is the typical mass range for a collapsed core to stabilize as a neutron star?What physical force is insufficient to halt the collapse when a core remnant becomes a black hole?What is the defining characteristic used to identify a black hole?What extreme object is formed by the merger of two neutron stars?What specific elements are theorized to be prime products of a neutron star merger?How dense is a teaspoon of neutron star material when weighed on Earth?What process generates the shockwave that tears the star apart in a supernova explosion?What is the fate of the matter ejected during a supernova explosion?How does the energy released by a supernova compare to the Sun's total output?What is the term for the infinitely dense point at the center of a black hole?