Ionisation clusters at DNA level: experimental modelling.
The importance of initial clustered damage to DNA is a hypothesis, which has to be approached also from physical modelling of the initial products of single charged particle interaction with DNA. A new tool for such studies, presented here, is based on modelling of the ionisation patterns resulting from a single charged particle crossing a nitrogen cavity of nanometre size. The nanometre size sites equivalent in unit density to DNA and nucleosome, have been modelled in a device, called a Jet Counter, consisting of a pulse operated valve which injects nitrogen in the form of an expansion jet into an interaction chamber. The distributions of the number of ions in a cluster created by a single alpha particle of 4.6 MeV along 0.15 nm to 13 nm size in nitrogen have been measured. A new descriptor of radiation action at DNA level is proposed.
Soltan Institute for Nuclear Studies, 05-400 Otwock-Swierk, Poland. pszona@ip.gov.pl
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D004247:DNA / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000528:radiation effects; D004583:Electrons; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D004247:DNA