Effective Charge (Z_eff)

A measure of plasma impurity content; higher Z_eff means more radiation and dilution.

Z_eff is the density-weighted average ion charge, a proxy for impurity content. Higher Z_eff increases bremsstrahlung losses and dilutes the fuel. HYPERION is designed at a clean Z_eff of 1.16.

Z_eff is a compact proxy for how dirty a plasma is: higher values mean more bremsstrahlung and more fuel dilution. HYPERION is designed at a clean Z_eff of 1.16, which its heating budget and power balance assume — keeping it there is a job for wall conditioning, controlled seeding and good exhaust.