What primary elements are fused when the helium core ignition occurs?
Answer
Carbon and oxygen
Once the contracting helium core reaches a critical threshold temperature, estimated to be around 100 million Kelvin, the temperature and pressure become sufficient to overcome the repulsive forces between helium nuclei, allowing them to fuse. The primary products resulting from this helium fusion process are the heavier elements carbon and oxygen. This nuclear burning phase temporarily restores structural stability to the star, although this phase is characteristically much shorter in duration compared to the preceding hydrogen-burning era on the main sequence.
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