Is it true that stars the size of the sun will never have a core hot enough to fuse carbon?

Question

Nolan Aldridge · Accepted Answer

Yes, stars the size of the Sun aren't hot enough for carbon fusion.

A star needs to have a core temperature of over #10^9K# to start the carbon fusion process. This requires the star to be at least 8 times the mass of the Sun. The Sun is currently fusing hydrogen into helium, with a core temperature of #1.5*10^6K#. This means that helium is building up in the Sun's core. The star expands into a red giant at this point, collapsing until hydrogen fusion can begin in the region outside the core when the hydrogen in the core runs out. Once the core temperature reached #10^8K#, helium fusion can begin. AT this point the star contracts and is no longer a red giant. This produces the elements oxygen and carbon. When a star has less mass than eight times that of the Sun, its helium supply runs out and it becomes a white dwarf star with an oxygen-carbon core that is incapable of undergoing further fusion reactions.

Emma Arguello · Answer

undefined It is true that a star's core will never get hot enough to fuse carbon, even for stars the size of the sun.