Hydrogen-deficient star radii. Hydrogen deficiency results from stellar evolution. Over the course of a star's evolution, both the consumption of hydrogen in nuclear fusion and the removal of hydrogen layers by explosive processes can lead to a deficiency of hydrogen in its atmosphere. Detailed theoretical models are still in their infancy. Modeling of hydrogen-deficient star evolution involves either a single-star approach or a binary-star approach. For example, there have been two theories put forward to explain the formation of extreme helium stars. The helium final flash scenario is a single-star approach in which a helium flash serves to consume the hydrogen from
Red giant temperature and pressure are adequate to cause fusion to resume in a shell around the core. The outer layers of the star then expand greatly, thus beginning the red-giant phase of the star's life. As the star expands, the energy produced in the burning shell of the star is spread over a much larger surface area, resulting in a lower surface temperature and a shift in the star's visible light output towards the red—hence it becomes a "red giant". At this time, the star is said to be ascending the red-giant branch of the Hertzsprung–Russell (H–R) diagram. The evolutionary path