Bremsstrahlung Radiation

Braking radiation from electrons deflected by ions; an unavoidable plasma energy loss.

When electrons are deflected by ions they emit bremsstrahlung ('braking radiation'). It is an intrinsic energy loss that grows with density and impurity charge, and it sets a floor on the temperature a given fuel needs — especially important for high-temperature fuels like D–³He.

Bremsstrahlung is an unavoidable loss that grows with density and with impurity charge, and it sets a floor on the temperature a given fuel needs to stay net-positive. It matters most for the hot, high-Z-sensitive D–³He burner, which is one reason plasma purity and a reflective liner are central to closing its power balance.