What ordinarily keeps a star from collapsing?

Answer 1

Further collapse is prevented by electron degeneracy pressure.

Answer 2

Thermonuclear fusion reactions produce an outward pressure that counteracts the inward pressure that would lead to collapse due to gravity.

True, but not only! Equilibrium of gravitating bodies (stars, planets, nebula...) depends on state equation: pressure as a function of mass density, temperature. Radiative pressure is important for hot normal star sclasses, but not for dense neutron stars or dwarfs... Particularly, there is not radiation pressure in planets, which are keeping by the balance of gas/liquid pressure and gravitation...

Answer 3

Neutron degeneracy pressure. When the atoms are forced that close together, the neutron will hit each other wildly, creating tons of pressure. This pressure is stronger than electron degeneracy pressure, so it's able to stop the collapse of a neutron star.

There are the laws of thermodynamics that prevent this from happening, namely the Pauli Exclusion Principle that states (basically) that not two neutrons can share the same quantum state simultaneously, however two colliding Neutron stars may collapse and form a blackhole.

Answer 4

Stars are "inflated" by the energy released through all the nuclear fusion going on in them. They are in an equilibrium between their immense gravity, which wants to pull everything in, and the huge energy output of the fusion of stellar nucleosynthesis, which is trying to force everything "out" and away from the star. They remain in balance throughout their lives until their eventual collapse and burnout, or a supernova event. The size of the star will dictate its ends, and in the case of our sun (to cite one example), it is too small to go supernova.

hydrostatic support A+

Answer 5

They have opposite electrical charges so they are repelled by each other. But they also have other forces acting on them, the strong and weak atomic forces. This keeps the electrons balanced in their orbits around the nucleus, where the protons and neutrons are.

Answer 6

The Fermi-Dirac statistics stops the collapse, or the Pauli exclusion principle to be exact. The principle states that no two fermions can exist in the same energy state at the same time. Neutron stars are almost pure neutron degenerate matter and neutrons are fermions. As you compress degenerate matter, you get outward pressure because the electrons don't want to occupy the same energy states as other neutrons.

Answer 7

Gravity is the force that makes a star want to collapse into its core.

Heat provides the force that makes a star want to expand into space. At some point, the force of gravity equals the heat force, so the star stays in balance at that point.

Answer 8

the nuclear fusion applies pressure away from the center of the star while gravity applies pressure towards the center of the star

Answer 9

Further collapse is prevented by electron degeneracy pressure.