Observations of visual sensations produced by Cerenkov radiation from high-energy electrons

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0360-3016(89)90125-9· OSTI ID:5479574

Steidley, K D; Eastman, R M; Stabile, R J ^[1]

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1. Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, NJ (USA)

Ten cancer patients whose eyes were therapeutically irradiated with 6-18 MeV electrons reported visual light sensations. Nine reported seeing blue light and one reported seeing white light. Controls reported seeing no light. Additionally, tests with patients ruled out the x-ray contamination of the electron beam as being important. The photon yield due to Cerenkov radiation produced by radium and its daughters for both electrons and gamma rays was calculated; it was found to account for a turn-of-the-century human observation of the radium phosphene. We conclude that the dominant mechanism of this phosphene is Cerenkov radiation, primarily from betas. From our own patient data, based on the color seen and the Cerenkov production rates, we conclude that the dominant mechanism is Cerenkov radiation and that high-energy electrons are an example of particle induced visual sensations.

• OSTI ID: 5479574
• Journal Information: International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics; (USA), Vol. 17:3; ISSN 0360-3016
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
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EYES
NEOPLASMS
RADIOTHERAPY
ELECTRON BEAMS
BETA PARTICLES
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
COLOR
GAMMA RADIATION
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PHOTONS
VISION
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LEPTON BEAMS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MEDICINE
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES
ORGANS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOLOGY
SENSE ORGANS
THERAPY
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