Question

Which types of stars end their life as a neutron star?

Answer 1

The stars whose initial mass is between 8 to 25 times the mass of the Sun, end their life as a neutron star.

Life Cycle Leading to a Neutron Star

1. Main Sequence Stage: These stars spend most of their lives fusing hydrogen into helium in their cores.
2. Red Supergiant Stage: After hydrogen is exhausted, the star expands into a red supergiant, and heavier elements are fused in successive shells around the core.
3. Core Collapse: When the star's core is composed mainly of iron, fusion can no longer occur (as fusing iron absorbs energy instead of releasing it).
4. Supernova Explosion: The outer layers are ejected in a dramatic supernova explosion, while the core compresses further.