Supergiant explosions form black holes, neutron stars, and heavy elements, but not white dwarfs

Steps:

• Supergiants are massive stars (over 8 solar masses) that end in core-collapse supernovae.
• During explosion, the core collapses based on mass: 1.4–3 solar masses form neutron stars; over 3 solar masses form black holes.
• The explosion synthesizes and disperses new heavier elements beyond iron.
• White dwarfs form only from low-mass stars (under 8 solar masses) that shed outer layers without exploding.

Why C is correct:

• White dwarfs are remnants of stars too low in mass to achieve the core-collapse conditions needed for supernova explosions, per stellar evolution models.

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Black holes form when supergiant cores exceed the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit during collapse.
• B: Neutron stars result from cores of 8–20 solar mass supergiants collapsing post-explosion.
• D: Supergiant supernovae fuse and eject elements heavier than iron via rapid neutron capture.

Final answer: C