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A significant fraction of stars between 7-11 solar masses are thought tobecome supernovae, but the explosion mechanism is unclear. The answer dependscritically on the rate of electron capture on $^{20}$Ne in the degenerateoxygen-neon stellar core. However, due to the unknown strength of thetransition between the ground states of $^{20}$Ne and $^{20}$F, it has notpreviously been possible to fully constrain the rate. By measuring thetransition, we have established that its strength is exceptionally large andenhances the capture rate by several orders of magnitude. This has a decisiveimpact on the evolution of the core, increasing the likelihood that the star is(partially) disrupted by a thermonuclear explosion rather than collapsing toform a neutron star. Importantly, our measurement resolves the last remainingnuclear physics uncertainty in the final evolution of degenerate oxygen-neonstellar cores, allowing future studies to address the critical role ofconvection, which at present is poorly understood.

Discovery of an Exceptionally Strong $\beta$-Decay Transition of $^{20}$F and Implications for the Fate of Intermediate-Mass Stars