Using atomistic simulations of dislocation motion in Ni and Ni-Au alloys we report a detailed study of the mobility function as a function of stress, temperature and alloy composition. We analyze the results in terms of analytic models of phonon radiation and their selection rules for phonon excitation. We find a remarkable agreement between the location of the cusps in the {sigma}-v relation and the velocity of waves propagating in the direction of dislocation motion. We identify and characterize three regimes of dissipation whose boundaries are essentially determined by the direction of motion of the dislocation, rather than by its screw or edge character.