Charged particle track structure parameters for application in radiation biology and radiation chemistry

Abstract

Chemical and biological damage, caused by directly or indirectly ionizing radiations, is attributable to the action of the charged particle tracks in the absorbing medium. Attempts to elucidate the biophysical mechanisms involved, and to quantify the damage, are typically made in terms of one or more of the main physical parameters descriptive of the charged particle tracks. To meet a need for a ready reference source of such information, tables of the relevant parameters have been calculated for a liquid water medium. The full tables are obtainable elsewhere. Here, a description is given of the quantities calculated and an extended example is given of their application in elucidating the physical mechanisms of radiation-induced biological damage. A representative selection of data is displayed graphically to illustrate the extent of the information obtained and its value in, e.g., application to fundamental radiation dosimetry. Track structure data is tabulated for instantaneous energies of individual particles and for the fluence and dose-weighted spectra at charged particle equilibrium. Data are listed for incident electrons (50 eV to 30 MeV); characteristic Kα X-rays from carbon to uranium; commonly used radioisotope sources of 241Am, 137Cs, and 60Co and for continuous X-ray spectra (⩽300 kV); Auger electron and beta-emitter radionuclides; heavy charged particles having specific energies of 0.5 keV/μ to 1 GeV/μ for 74 ion types ranging from protons to uranium ions, and for monoenergetic neutrons (0.5 keV to 100 MeV). Quantities listed are kerma factors; fluence of charged particles per unit source concentration; buildup factors; track and dose-average LET and restricted LET; W values; z2/β2;β2; delta-ray yields, energies, and ranges; ion ranges; and the mean free path for primary ionization and the linear primary ionization. For indirectly ionizing radiations, the microdose quantities, frequency, and dose means of lineal energy are tabulated along with typical energy deposition distribution spectra for neutrons and gamma rays in micron and nanometer volumes. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.