Binary-Encounter-Bethe ionisation cross sections for simulation of DNA damage by the direct effect of ionising radiation.

Abstract

DNA damage is of crucial importance in the understanding of the effects of ionising radiation. To refine existing DNA damage models, an approach using the Binary-Encounter-Bethe (BEB) cross sections was developed. The differential cross sections for ionisation of the molecular orbitals of the DNA bases, sugars and phosphates are calculated using the electron binding energy, the mean kinetic energy and the occupancy number of each orbital as parameters. The resulting cross section has an analytic form which is quite convenient to use for Monte-Carlo codes that randomly sample the energy loss occurring during an ionisation event. We also describe an algorithm to simulate the interactions of electrons with DNA in the radiation transport code RITRACKS using the integrated BEB cross section for the bases, sugar and phosphates.