In a white dwarf, the star is prevented from collapsing due to the Pauli exclusion principle. If the star is heavy enough, the protons in the star will capture electrons, forming neutrons and bypassing the exclusion principle for electrons. The exclusion principle can come into effect again with ...

I have read this question (unfortunately this mentions supernova and not black hole): If it it the latter, then the instabilities that lead to the collapse of a neutron star would begin near the centre of the star at the highest densities. Collapse timescales go as the free-fall timescale, which...

I'm a noob in physics & math, so I'm just looking for a scientific answer for a small fiction project. My question is : How far can we realistically go in space, if we managed to "use" energy in the best way possible ? I don't want to take any huge assumptions in technology / science fiction, oth...