Carbon burning

¹²C + ¹²C -> ²⁴Mg + gamma ray + energy

¹²C + ¹²C -> ²³Na + proton + energy

¹²C + ¹²C -> ²⁰Ne + ⁴He + energy

¹²C + ¹²C -> ²³Mg + neutron + energy

¹²C + ¹²C -> ¹⁶O + 2 ⁴He + energy

Carbon burning requires a temperature of about a billion K to overcome the vary large repulsion between the two positively charged carbon nuclei