What is the composition of the core after hydrogen fusion ceases in a star similar to our Sun transitioning to a red giant?
Answer
It is composed primarily of inert helium ash
When a star like the Sun exhausts its hydrogen fuel supply in the very center, the fusion process stops in that region. This cessation breaks the equilibrium that sustained the star against gravity. Consequently, the core begins to contract under its own weight. This core, having undergone hydrogen fusion for the majority of the star's life, is now predominantly made up of the heavier element byproduct, which is inert helium ash. This inert core then contracts and heats up, eventually providing the necessary temperature increase to ignite hydrogen fusion in the surrounding shell.
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