Biophysical aspects of heavy ion interactions in matter

Conference · Mon May 15 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics) Conference Proceedings; (USA)

OSTI ID:5357766

Schimmerling, W; Wong, M; Ludewigt, B; Phillips, M; Alpen, E L; Powers-Risius, P; DeGuzman, R J ^[1]; Townsend, L W; Wilson, J W ^[2]

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1. Research Medicine and Radiation Biophysics Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (US)
2. NASA/Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23665 (US)

The biological effects of high energy, high charge nuclei (HZE particles) occupy a central role in the management of space radiation hazards due to galactic cosmic rays. For the energy range of interest, the mean free path for nuclear interactions of these heavy ions is comparable to the thickness of the material traversed, and a significant fraction of stopping particles will undergo a nuclear reaction with the nuclei of the stopping material. Transport methods for HZE particles are dependent on models of the interaction of man-made systems with the space environment to an even greater extent than methods used for other types of radiation. Hence, there is a major need to validate these transport codes by comparison with experimental data. The basic physical properties of HZE particles will be reviewed and illustrated with the results of nuclear fragmentation experiments performed with 670A MeV neon ions incident on a water absorber and with measurements of multiple Coulomb scattering of uranium beams in copper. Finally, the extent to which physical measurements yield radiobiological predictions is illustrated for the example of neon.

• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 5357766
• Report Number(s): CONF-8711149--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics) Conference Proceedings; (USA) Journal Volume: 186:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560100* -- Biomedical Sciences
Applied Studies-- Radiation Effects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BASIC INTERACTIONS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CHARGED PARTICLES
COULOMB SCATTERING
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
FRAGMENTATION
HEAVY IONS
INTERACTIONS
IONS
MEAN FREE PATH
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION TRANSPORT
SCATTERING