 Intermediate @-@ mass stars , between 1 @.@ 8 – 2 @.@ 5 M ☉ and 5 – 10 M ☉ , pass through evolutionary stages similar to low mass stars , but after a relatively short period on the <unk> they ignite helium without a flash and spend an extended period in the red clump before forming a degenerate carbon @-@ oxygen core . 
