Portal:Radiation astronomy/X-ray astronomy article/7

Stellar surface fusion is one of the few direct views physicists have of thermonuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion usually occurs within a star as a part of stellar nucleosynthesis. However, an accreting star can undergo surface nuclear burning when the accretion rate exceeds a certain limit. The stellar luminosity then becomes dominated by hydrogen burning. The energy liberated by hydrogen burning exceeds that due to accretion by an order of magnitude or more, depending on the mass of the star. Steady hydrogen burning on the stellar surface processes hydrogen into helium at the rate of accretion. Surface fusion occurs above a star's photosphere to a limited extent as found in studies of near coronal and corona activity.

Based on the 3He-flare flux from the Sun's surface and Surveyor 3 samples (implanted 15N and 14C in lunar material) from the surface of the Moon, the level of nuclear fusion occurring in the solar atmosphere is approximately at least two to three orders of magnitude greater than that estimated from solar flares such as those of August 1972.