Bremsstrahlung Radiation

Bremsstrahlung is 'braking radiation' emitted as electrons scatter off ions — a dominant energy-loss channel Kronos budgets at 498 MW.

Meaning

German for 'braking radiation'

Cause

Electrons decelerating in the field of ions

Kronos value

498 MW at the design point

Design lever

Keep the electron channel cool (hot-ion mode)

Bremsstrahlung — German for "braking radiation" — is X-ray light emitted when fast electrons are deflected by the electric fields of ions. In a fusion plasma it is an unavoidable energy-loss channel that scales with electron temperature and with the square of ion charge, so it grows quickly in hot, high-density plasmas.

Kronos budgets bremsstrahlung explicitly at 498 MW at the design point, and it is part of why the Lawson analysis is done with radiation losses included. It is also a key reason for the hot-ion posture: because bremsstrahlung comes from the electrons, keeping the electron channel deliberately cooler than the ions limits the loss while preserving fusion rate.