What is the immediate consequence of the inert helium core ceasing fusion?
Answer
The inert helium core begins a rapid gravitational contraction
Once the primary energy source is gone from the center, gravity takes over, causing the inert helium core to undergo a rapid gravitational collapse. This compression increases its density and temperature.
Related Questions
What mechanism maintains stability during a star's main sequence life?What condition triggers the onset of the red giant transition for a Sun-like star?What is the immediate consequence of the inert helium core ceasing fusion?How does the energy output from hydrogen shell burning compare to the star's previous core fusion rate?What causes the outer layers of a forming red giant to cool down substantially?Despite its cooler surface, why is a red giant vastly more luminous than it was on the main sequence?What stellar mass category is generally thought to bypass the true red giant stage, instead fading away slowly?What quantum mechanical effect supports the dense helium core in low-to-intermediate mass stars before helium fusion begins?Why is the Helium Flash event in low-mass stars not observable from the star's surface?What structural configuration defines the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) phase?