Astronomy: General

helium ‘burning’

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences | 1999 | | Copyright

helium ‘burning’ The fusion of helium in the contracted core of a red giant star at extremely high temperatures, hotter than those reached in the Sun. It is particularly important because the reaction produces carbon and oxygen, so helping to explain their cosmic abundance. See CARBON ‘BURNING’; HYDROGEN ‘BURNING’; SILICON ‘BURNING’; and NUCLEOSYNTHESIS.

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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "helium ‘burning’." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-heliumburning.html

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | Copyright

helium burning The production of energy in stars by the fusion of helium to form carbon. It occurs by the triple-alpha process.

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