If a stellar corpse exceeds about 3 solar masses, it must end up as a...?
Question:
Answer:
Our Sun (defined as 1 solar mass) will end up as a white dwarf, which cools into a brown dwarf.
With a mass 3 times larger, a star will collapse to the point that all the electrons and protons are squeezed out of atoms, leaving only the neutrons behind (which don't repel each other). The forces between neutrons will prevent the star from collapsing any further. This is known as a neutron star, which is the answer.
If the star is really massive, not even the forces between neutrons will prevent the collapse, and it will disappear to an infinitesimal point (a black hole).
I'm saying black hole... but if not, neutron star.
4 black hole
black hole
The answer is a black hole. This is because of the Chandrasekhar Limit which states simply that an electron degenerate core cannot physically exceed 1.44 Solar Masses without consequences. Those being Supernovae or Novae explosion and resulting black holes.
If a black hole could exist I would say a black hole,they are non-viable entities so a neutron star.
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