Radiative power loss from laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. I. Power loss from plasmas in steady-state ionisation balance

Abstract

Described a calculation of the power radiated by an optically thin low-density plasma in steady-state ionisation balance taking account of spectral lines, recombination continuum and bremsstrahlung. The calculations have been done in the temperature range 104-1010K for all ions of the elements carbon, oxygen, silicon and argon and for all ions of iron and molybdenum of charge greater than 7 and 23 respectively. Collision strength data of good accuracy have been used where they are available and extrapolation methods developed where they are not. The bremsstrahlung power loss is considered in detail in the appendix. Results are presented in tabular form for each of the ions treated. These are combined with steady-state ionisation balance data in a further table to give the radiated power-loss functions for each element in turn. The role of impurity radiation loss for a deuterium-tritium power-producing plasma is investigated. A composite calculation of the radiated power loss from the solar atmosphere is also presented.