title: Molecular damage induced directly and indirectly by ionizing radiation in DNA.
abstract: We describe the interaction of radiation with a double-stranded DNA molecule and with the structural water surrounding it. The results, which include a detailed picture of DNA molecular alterations, as well as their yield and spatial disposition, were obtained with the aid of Monte Carlo codes that simulate, event-by-event and simultaneously, direct and indirect effects. These calculations make use of explicit quantum-mechanical descriptions of the electronic structure of condensed water and of a homopolynucleotide chain. From these we obtain, via the dielectric response function of the two systems, epsilon (q, omega), the interaction probabilities necessary in the transport codes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaider
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bardash
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fung
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004249:DNA Damage; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical; D018499:Linear Energy Transfer; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing
chemical_list: D017665:Hydroxyl Radical; D004247:DNA