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Helium fusion


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I have been reading that whereas the fusion of hydrogen into helium in the core of a star requires temperatures of 15 million or so, the next stage of fusing helium into carbon requires temperatures of something like 100 million degrees. How does the star achieve such a temperature when it has no more mass than it did before, when it only achieved 15 million degrees?

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The temperature and pressure in the core of a star is a result of gravity, which is proportional to the mass of the star.

In a star like the sun, the pressure from Hydrogen fusion balances the force of gravity preventing further collapse and corresponding temperature increase. At a certain point the star will run out of a Hydrogen in the core, the Helium core will then star to collapse increasing the temperature and pressure until, if the star has sufficient mass, Helium Fusion starts.

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