An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

The sudden onset of → helium burning in the core of an → intermediate-mass star that has exhausted its hydrogen and has become a → red giant. With a → degenerate core, the temperature increases but the pressure does not. Therefore, the core cannot expand and cool, so the temperature continues to rise. When it approaches 100,000,000 K, helium will begin to fuse into carbon in the → triple alpha process. The helium flash ends the giant star’s ascent of the → red giant branch. However, the violent ignition of helium in the core does not increase the star’s luminosity. On the contrary, the energy released in the helium flash expands and cools the core and ultimately results in a reduction in the energy output. On the → H-R diagram the star moves down
from red giant branch to the → horizontal branch, a stable state with steady helium burning in the core.

See also: → helium; → flash.