Multiscale approach to the physics of radiation damage with ions

The multiscale approach to the assessment of biodamage resulting upon irradiation of biological media with ions is reviewed, explained and compared to other approaches. The processes of ion propagation in the medium concurrent with ionization and excitation of molecules, transport of secondary products, dynamics of the medium, and biological damage take place on a number of different temporal, spatial and energy scales. The multiscale approach, a physical phenomenon-based analysis of the scenario that leads to radiation damage, has been designed to consider all relevant effects on a variety of scales and develop an approach to the quantitative assessment of biological damage as a result of irradiation with ions. This paper explains the scenario of radiation damage with ions, overviews its major parts, and applies the multiscale approach to different experimental conditions. On the basis of this experience, the recipe for application of the multiscale approach is formulated. The recipe leads to the calculation of relative biological effectiveness.Comment: 31 pages, 14 figure

Transport of secondary electrons and reactive species in ion tracks

The transport of reactive species brought about by ions traversing tissue-like medium is analysed analytically. Secondary electrons ejected by ions are capable of ionizing other molecules; the transport of these generations of electrons is studied using the random walk approximation until these electrons remain ballistic. Then, the distribution of solvated electrons produced as a result of interaction of low-energy electrons with water molecules is obtained. The radial distribution of energy loss by ions and secondary electrons to the medium yields the initial radial dose distribution, which can be used as initial conditions for the predicted shock waves. The formation, diffusion, and chemical evolution of hydroxyl radicals in liquid water are studied as well.Comment: 7 pages 4 figure

Calculation of survival probabilities for cells exposed to high ion fluences

A methodology of calculations of survival curves with an account for ion paths interference is developed using the multiscale approach to the physics of radiation damage with ions. The method is applied to different targets and shouldered survival curves are obtained. The recipe is designed for both high and low values of linear energy transfer.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Eur. Phys. J.

Cell survival probability in a spread-out Bragg peak for novel treatment planning

The problem of variable cell survival probability along the spread-out Bragg peak is one of the long standing problems in planning and optimisation of ion-beam therapy. This problem is considered using the multiscale approach to the physics of ion-beam therapy. The physical reasons for this problem are analysed and understood on a quantitative level. A recipe of solution to this problem is suggested using this approach. This recipe can be used in the design of a novel treatment planning and optimisation based on fundamental science.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, submitted to EPJ

Biodamage via shock waves initiated by irradiation with ions

Radiation damage following the ionising radiation of tissue has different scenarios and mechanisms depending on the projectiles or radiation modality. We investigate the radiation damage effects due to shock waves produced by ions. We analyse the strength of the shock wave capable of directly producing DNA strand breaks and, depending on the ion's linear energy transfer, estimate the radius from the ion's path, within which DNA damage by the shock wave mechanism is dominant. At much smaller values of linear energy transfer, the shock waves turn out to be instrumental in propagating reactive species formed close to the ion's path to large distances, successfully competing with diffusion

Electric dipole moments of nitric acid-water complexes measured by cluster beam deflection

Water clusters embedding a nitric acid molecule HNO3(H2O)_{n=1-10} are investigated via electrostatic deflection of a molecular beam. We observe large paraelectric susceptibilities that greatly exceed the electronic polarizability, revealing the contribution of permanent dipole moments. The moments derived from the data are also significantly higher than those of pure water clusters. An enhancement in the susceptibility for n=5,6 and a rise in cluster abundances setting in at n=6 suggest that dissociation of the solvated acid molecule into ions takes place in this size range.Comment: Proceedings of ISACC 2009, The Fourth International Symposium "Atomic Cluster Collisions: structure and dynamics from the nuclear to the biological scale" (AIP Conference Proceedings

Physics of ion beam cancer therapy: a multi-scale approach

We propose a multi-scale approach to understand the physics related to ion-beam cancer therapy. It allows the calculation of the probability of DNA damage as a result of irradiation of tissues with energetic ions, up to 430 MeV/u. This approach covers different scales, starting from the large scale, defined by the ion stopping, followed by a smaller scale, defined by secondary electrons and radicals, and ending with the shortest scale, defined by interactions of secondaries with the DNA. We present calculations of the probabilities of single and double strand breaks of DNA, suggest a way to further expand such calculations, and also make some estimates for glial cells exposed to radiation.Comment: 18 pag,5 fig, submitted to PR