What single fundamental variable dictates the difference between a Red Giant and a Red Supergiant's core fate?
Answer
Mass
Mass dictates the ultimate temperatures and pressures a star can achieve internally, which in turn dictates whether fusion can restart multiple times after the initial hydrogen-burning phase concludes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What single fundamental variable dictates the difference between a Red Giant and a Red Supergiant's core fate?After helium burning concludes, what typically happens to the core fusion process in a star similar to the Sun (Red Giant)?Roughly how massive must a star be initially to evolve into a Red Supergiant rather than a Red Giant?What nuclear process initiates core fusion in a standard Red Giant after hydrogen is depleted?What element's formation halts continuous fusion in the core of a Red Supergiant because its fusion consumes energy?What primarily supports the core of a massive Red Supergiant during helium, carbon, and subsequent burning stages?What specific, sudden ignition event can occur in the degenerate core of a lower-mass Red Giant when helium fusion begins?How is the internal structure of a Red Supergiant described while it is undergoing sequential core burning stages?How does the duration of successive core burning stages in a massive Red Supergiant generally compare to the star's main sequence life?What is the typical ultimate fate of a star similar to the Sun after it concludes its Red Giant phase?How does the pressure support mechanism during helium flash in a low-mass Red Giant differ from the primary support during subsequent burning in a Supergiant core?