What temperature is required to initiate helium fusion into carbon and oxygen in the core?
Answer
Reaching about 100 million Kelvin
After the initial hydrogen fuel in the core is exhausted and the core contracts sufficiently, the temperature and pressure within the helium-rich center continue to climb. Only when these conditions become extreme enough—specifically reaching a temperature of approximately 100 million Kelvin—can the nucleus overcome the necessary repulsive forces to fuse. This threshold temperature enables the start of helium fusion, which proceeds via a specific mechanism known as the triple-alpha process, yielding carbon and oxygen as the resultant elements.
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