What critical temperature must the core reach to force hydrogen nuclei to fuse?
Answer
Approximately 15 million degrees Celsius
The ignition of thermonuclear power within a star is governed by achieving an extreme critical temperature in the core. When the core temperature reaches approximately 15 million degrees Celsius, the conditions become sufficiently intense to overcome the electrostatic repulsion between hydrogen nuclei. At this point, these nuclei are forced close enough together for the strong nuclear force to bind them, initiating fusion, primarily through the proton-proton chain reaction. If this temperature threshold is not met, the object cannot sustain the necessary internal furnace to become a true, long-term light-emitting star.
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