Oxygen itself does not "burn" in the traditional sense of combining with oxygen to produce heat and light. Instead, oxygen supports combustion. However, the reference provided discusses "oxygen-burning" in the context of stellar nucleosynthesis, which is a very different process. In this context, oxygen burning commences at approximately 1.83 billion Kelvin.
Here's a breakdown:
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Traditional Burning: Normal combustion involves a fuel combining rapidly with oxygen, releasing energy. Oxygen doesn't act as the fuel in these cases.
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Stellar Nucleosynthesis (Oxygen Burning): In the extremely high-temperature and high-density environment of a star's core, nuclear fusion reactions can occur. "Oxygen burning" refers to the nuclear fusion of oxygen nuclei to form heavier elements like silicon, sulfur, and others.
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Temperature Requirement: This oxygen burning process requires overcoming the strong electrostatic repulsion between the positively charged oxygen nuclei. This necessitates immense temperatures, around 1.83 billion Kelvin. This temperature is reached after the star has consumed lighter elements like hydrogen and helium, and the core has contracted and heated up. The movement of the flame inside the star accelerates as time goes on.
Therefore, while oxygen doesn't "burn" in the everyday sense, the nuclear fusion process called "oxygen burning" within stars begins at around 1.83 billion Kelvin.
