A brief, explosive burst of helium fusion that occurs in the core of low-mass stars when they become red giants. This event happens when helium ignites under degenerate conditions, releasing enormous amounts of energy in seconds.
Named for the element helium (from Greek 'helios' meaning sun) and 'flash' indicating the sudden, brief nature of the event. The phenomenon was theoretically predicted in the 1960s through stellar evolution models.
Try Another Word