DSB and SSB damages by 0.1–20 MeV protons enhanced by high-Z nanoparticles computed using Geant4-DNA

Abstract

The interaction of protons in the energy range of 0.1 to 20 MeV with water sphere, as the target volume, containing DNA molecules has been simulated using Geant4-DNA toolkit. PDB format of DNA was used as DNA molecules were distributed randomly inside the target volume. The number of DNA damage is calculated in the absence of nanoparticles. Then the simulation has been repeated in the presence of 3 different nanoparticles (gold, gadolinium and iodine), in the identical physical and geometric conditions. The number of DNA damages without nanoparticles was in agreement with previous studies. Simulations results demonstrate that adding gold nanoparticles leads to increase damage yields in DNA. Increase of the yield between 10% to 50% were observed for SSB and DSB. Enhancement of the yield damage in the case of gadolinium and iodine nanoparticles was observed to be 4% and 9% less than that of gold nanoparticles.