Pair-instability supernova

Type of high-energy supernova in very large stars

A pair-instability supernova is a type of supernova predicted to occur when pair production — the production of free electrons and positrons in the collision between atomic nuclei and energetic gamma rays — temporarily reduces the internal radiation pressure supporting a supermassive star's core against gravitational collapse. This pressure drop leads to a partial collapse, which in turn causes greatly accelerated burning in a runaway thermonuclear explosion, resulting in the star being blown completely apart without leaving a stellar remnant behind. Pair-instability supernovae can only happen in stars with a mass range from around 130 to 250 solar masses and low to moderate metallicity (low abundance of elements other than hydrogen and helium – a situation common in Population III stars).

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