What process occurs in the shell surrounding the core of a star becoming a red giant?
Answer
The fusion of hydrogen in a shell surrounding the core
When a star similar to the Sun exhausts its hydrogen supply in the core, the core contracts and heats up as it adjusts to the lack of central fusion. This increased temperature causes the hydrogen in the shell surrounding the core to begin fusing. The energy produced by this shell fusion causes the outer layers of the star to expand significantly and cool down, which is the defining characteristic of the transition into the red giant stage.
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