Theory of RBE. Fourth triennial report, 1 January 1967-31 December 1978
From a single set of themes, the Theory of RBE has developed a picture of the response of many detectors to radiations of different quality. Formulas of the theory and a set of experimental parameters for each detector lead to predictions of detector response to different radiation fields, which serve also as a test of the theory. We have predicted that detector response is not a single valued function of LET or REL. We have invented a characteristic parameter kappa, combining both radiosensitivity and sensitive element size, in a way suitable for describing detector response as a function of z*/sup 2//..beta../sup 2/ of monoenergetic incident particles, and encompassing the transition from grain-count to track-width regimes, the variation of OER and RBE with LET as well. We have emphasized the importance of delta-rays in track structure, and have shown that it is this which is responsible for the multiple valuedness of response with LET and even with z*/sup 2//..beta../sup 2/. We have predicted that quality factors are misleading, that one cannot combine high and low LET response linearly to find the response to a mixed environment, and have shown how we can predict biological response in complex radiation environments, such as neutrons, pions, or heavy ions, contaminated with electrons and gamma-rays, and spread by a ridge filter. We have sought to identify the basic aspects of detector response which lead biological substances to exhibit a RBE greater than 1 with high LET radiations, and have used that result to discover physical detectors having that property. Currently, studies of these detectors (supralinear emulsions and TLD's) are being made to find the extent to which their properties can be adjusted to mimic the response of biological cells and tissues to radiation fields of different quality, and to use them as testing grounds for models of radiation action.
- Research Organization:
- Nebraska Univ., Lincoln (USA). Dept. of Physics
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-S-02-1671
- OSTI ID:
- 5976010
- Report Number(s):
- COO-1671-79; TRN: 79-022428
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Theory of RBE. Progress report, 1 January 1976--31 December 1976
Theory of RBE. Fifth triennial report, 1 January 1967-31 December 1981
Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ELECTRONS
RBE
GAMMA RADIATION
NEUTRONS
PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM DOSEMETERS
RESPONSE FUNCTIONS
SENSITIVITY
PIONS
THERMOLUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
LET
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUCLEAR EMULSIONS
OXYGEN ENHANCEMENT RATIO
RADIATION QUALITY
BARYONS
BOSONS
DOSEMETERS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY TRANSFER
FERMIONS
FUNCTIONS
HADRONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
LUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MESONS
NUCLEONS
PSEUDOSCALAR MESONS
RADIATIONS
440101* - Radiation Instrumentation- General Detectors or Monitors & Radiometric Instruments
440102 - Radiation Instrumentation- Radiation Dosemeters
560121 - Radiation Effects on Cells- External Source- (-1987)
560152 - Radiation Effects on Animals- Animals