46 research outputs found
Ion-induced electron production in tissue-like media and DNA damage mechanisms
We propose an inclusive approach for calculating characteristics of secondary
electrons produced by ions/protons in tissue-like media. This approach is based
on an analysis of the projectile's interaction with the medium on the
microscopic level. It allows us to obtain the energy spectrum and abundance of
secondary electrons as functions of the projectile kinetic energy. The physical
information obtained in this analysis is related to biological processes
responsible for the irrepearable DNA damage induced by the projectile. In
particular, we consider double strand breaks of DNA caused by secondary
electrons and free radicals, and local heating in the ion's track. The heating
may enhance the biological effectiveness of electron/free radical interactions
with the DNA and may even be considered as an independent mechanism of DNA
damage. Numerical estimates are performed for the case of carbon-ion beams. The
obtained dose-depth curves are compared with results of the MCHIT model based
on the GEANT4 toolkit.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, submitted to EPJD, included class files
svepj.clo, svjour.cl
Fragmentation pathways of nanofractal structures on surface
We present a detailed systematical theoretical analysis of the post-growth
processes occurring in nanofractals grown on surface. For this study we
developed a method which accounts for the internal dynamics of particles in a
fractal. We demonstrate that particle diffusion and detachment controls the
shape of the emerging stable islands on surface. We consider different
scenarios of fractal post-growth relaxation and analyze the time evolution of
the island's morphology. The results of our calculations are compared with
available experimental observations, and experiments in which the post-growth
relaxation of deposited nanostructures can be probed are suggested.Comment: 34 pages, 11 figure
Ab initio theory of helix-coil phase transition
In this paper we suggest a theoretical method based on the statistical
mechanics for treating the alpha-helix-random coil transition in alanine
polypeptides. We consider this process as a first-order phase transition and
develop a theory which is free of model parameters and is based solely on
fundamental physical principles. It describes essential thermodynamical
properties of the system such as heat capacity, the phase transition
temperature and others from the analysis of the polypeptide potential energy
surface calculated as a function of two dihedral angles, responsible for the
polypeptide twisting. The suggested theory is general and with some
modification can be applied for the description of phase transitions in other
complex molecular systems (e.g. proteins, DNA, nanotubes, atomic clusters,
fullerenes).Comment: 24 pages, 3 figure
Alpha helix-coil phase transition: analysis of ab initio theory predictions
In the present paper we present results of calculations obtained with the use
of the theoretical method described in our preceding paper [1] and perform
detail analysis of alpha helix-random coil transition in alanine polypeptides
of different length. We have calculated the potential energy surfaces of
polypeptides with respect to their twisting degrees of freedom and construct a
parameter-free partition function of the polypeptide using the suggested method
[1]. From the build up partition function we derive various thermodynamical
characteristics for alanine polypeptides of different length as a function of
temperature. Thus, we analyze the temperature dependence of the heat capacity,
latent heat and helicity for alanine polypeptides consisting of 21, 30, 40, 50
and 100 amino acids. Alternatively, we have obtained same thermodynamical
characteristics from the use of molecular dynamics simulations and compared
them with the results of the new statistical mechanics approach. The comparison
proves the validity of the statistical mechanic approach and establishes its
accuracy.Comment: 34 pages, 12 figure
Hybridization-related correction to the jellium model for fullerenes
We introduce a new type of correction for a more accurate description of
fullerenes within the spherically symmetric jellium model. This correction
represents a pseudopotential which originates from the comparison between an
accurate ab initio calculation and the jellium model calculation. It is shown
that such a correction to the jellium model allows one to account, at least
partly, for the sp2-hybridization of carbon atomic orbitals. Therefore, it may
be considered as a more physically meaningful correction as compared with a
structureless square-well pseudopotential which has been widely used earlier.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figure
Photon emission by an ultra-relativistic particle channeling in a periodically bent crystal
This paper is devoted to a detailed analysis of the new type of the undulator
radiation generated by an ultra-relativistic charged particle channeling along
a crystal plane, which is periodically bent by a transverse acoustic wave, as
well as to the conditions limiting the observation of this phenomenon. This
mechanism makes feasible the generation of electromagnetic radiation, both
spontaneous and stimulated, emitted in a wide range of the photon energies,
from X- up to gamma-rays
Stable propagation of a modulated positron beam in a bent crystal channel
The propagation of a modulated positron beam in a planar crystal channel is
investigated. It is demonstrated that the beam preserves its modulation at
sufficiently large penetration depths which opens the prospect of using a
crystalline undulator as a coherent source of hard x-rays. This finding is a
crucial milestone in developing a new type of lasers radiating in the hard
x-ray and gamma-ray range.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, iopar
Electron-based crystalline undulator
We discuss the features of a crystalline undulator of the novel type based on
the effect of a planar channeling of ultra-relativistic electrons in a
periodically bent crystals. It is demonstrated that an electron-based undulator
is feasible in the tens of GeV range of the beam energies, which is noticeably
higher than the energy interval allowed in a positron-based undulator.
Numerical analysis of the main parameters of the undulator as well as the
characteristics of the emitted undulator radiation is carried out for 20 and 50
GeV electrons channeling in diamond and silicon crystals along the (111)
crystallographic planes.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, Latex, IOP styl
One-dimensional Model of a Gamma Klystron
A new scheme for amplification of coherent gamma rays is proposed. The key
elements are crystalline undulators - single crystals with periodically bent
crystallographic planes exposed to a high energy beam of charged particles
undergoing channeling inside the crystals. The scheme consists of two such
crystals separated by a vacuum gap. The beam passes the crystals successively.
The particles perform undulator motion inside the crystals following the
periodic shape of the crystallographic planes. Gamma rays passing the crystals
parallel to the beam get amplified due to interaction with the particles inside
the crystals. The term `gamma klystron' is proposed for the scheme because its
operational principles are similar to those of the optical klystron. A more
simple one-crystal scheme is considered as well for the sake of comparison. It
is shown that the gamma ray amplification in the klystron scheme can be reached
at considerably lower particle densities than in the one-crystal scheme,
provided that the gap between the crystals is sufficiently large.Comment: RevTeX4, 22 pages, 4 figure