What occurs immediately after the ignition and combustion of charge in a diesel engine cycle?

In a diesel engine cycle, immediately after the ignition and combustion of the fuel charge, there is a rapid expansion of gases. This is a critical phase in the operation of the diesel engine, known as the power stroke. When the fuel is injected into the compressed air in the combustion chamber, it ignites due to the high temperature from the compressive heating. The combustion process generates a significant amount of hot gases that rapidly expand.

This expansion of gases exerts pressure on the piston, pushing it down in the cylinder, which ultimately produces the mechanical work needed to power the vehicle. It's important to recognize that this power stroke is the result of the thermal energy converted from the combustion process into mechanical energy through gas expansion.

Other options, such as air intake or compression, occur in separate stages of the engine cycle, and the removal of waste happens at the end of the cycle, not immediately after combustion. Thus, the correct response reflects the immediate consequence of combustion in a diesel engine.