Charge transfer and ionisation by intermediate-energy heavy ions.

The use of heavy ion beams for microbeam studies of mammalian cell response leads to a need to better understand interaction cross sections for collisions of heavy ions with tissue constituents. For ion energies of a few MeV u(-1) or less, ions capture electrons from the media in which they travel and undergo subsequent interactions as partially 'dressed' ions. For example, 16 MeV fluorine ions have an equilibrium charge of 7(+), 32 MeV sulphur ions have an equilibrium charge of approximately 11(+), and as the ion energies decrease the equilibrium charge decreases dramatically. Data for interactions of partially dressed ions are extremely rare, making it difficult to estimate microscopic patterns of energy deposition leading to damage to cellular components. Such estimates, normally obtained by Monte Carlo track structure simulations, require a comprehensive database of differential and total ionisation cross sections as well as charge transfer cross sections. To provide information for track simulation, measurement of total ionisation cross sections have been initiated at East Carolina University using the recoil ion time-of-flight method that also yields cross sections for multiple ionisation processes and charge transfer cross sections; multiple ionisation is prevalent for heavy ion interactions. In addition, measurements of differential ionisation cross sections needed for Monte Carlo simulation of detailed event-by-event particle tracks are under way. Differential, total and multiple ionisation cross sections and electron capture and loss cross sections measured for C(+) ions with energies of 100 and 200 keV u(-1) are described.

Determination of plasma trace elements in tumor-bearing animals by proton-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy.

Although altered levels of circulating essential trace elements are known to accompany malignant disease, the lack of sensitivity of conventional detection methods has generally limited their study to clinical conditions involving extensive disease (i.e., significant tumor burden). As such, the application of altered trace element levels as potential prognostic guides or as response indicators subsequent to treatment has been of limited use. During this study, proton-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy was evaluated as a tool to determine trace element imbalances in a murine tumor model. Using plasma from C57B1/6 mice bearing the syngeneic Lewis lung carcinoma (LLCa), levels of Fe, Cu, and Zn, as well as changes in the Cu /Zn ratio, were measured in animals carrying an increasing primary tumor burden. The plasma levels of Fe, Cu, and Zn were found to decrease significantly 7 d following implants of LLCa cells with no significant change observed in the Cu/Zn ratio. By d 21, however, an increase in the Cu/Zn ratio was found to accompany increased growth of the LLCa tumor; the plasma levels of Cu had returned to normal levels, whereas both the Fe and Zn plasma levels remained lowered. Collectively, the results suggest that although a net change in individual plasma trace element concentrations might not be accurately associated with tumor growth, a clear relationship was established between the Cu/Zn ratio and tumor size.

Modelling interaction cross sections for intermediate and low energy ions.

When charged particles slow in tissue they undergo electron capture and loss processes that can have profound effects on subsequent interaction cross sections. Although a large amount of data exists for the interaction of bare charged particles with atoms and molecules, few experiments have been reported for these 'dressed' particles. Projectile electrons contribute to an impact-parameter-dependent screening of the projectile charge that precludes straightforward scaling of energy loss cross sections from those of bare charged particles. The objective of this work is to develop an analytical model for the energy-loss-dependent effects of screening on differential ionisation cross sections that can be used in track structure calculations for high LET ions. As a first step a model of differential ionisation cross sections for bare ions has been combined with a simple screening model to explore cross sections for intermediate and low energy dressed ions in collisions with atomic and molecular gas targets. The model is described briefly and preliminary results compared to measured ejected electron energy spectra.

Electron emission from condensed phase material induced by fast protons.

Monte Carlo track simulation has become an important tool in radiobiology. Monte Carlo transport codes commonly rely on elastic and inelastic electron scattering cross sections determined using theoretical methods supplemented with gas-phase data; experimental condensed phase data are often unavailable or infeasible. The largest uncertainties in the theoretical methods exist for low-energy electrons, which are important for simulating electron track ends. To test the reliability of these codes to deal with low-energy electron transport, yields of low-energy secondary electrons ejected from thin foils have been measured following passage of fast protons. Fast ions, where interaction cross sections are well known, provide the initial spectrum of low-energy electrons that subsequently undergo elastic and inelastic scattering in the material before exiting the foil surface and being detected. These data, measured as a function of the energy and angle of the emerging electrons, can provide tests of the physics of electron transport. Initial measurements from amorphous solid water frozen to a copper substrate indicated substantial disagreement with MC simulation, although questions remained because of target charging. More recent studies, using different freezing techniques, do not exhibit charging, but confirm the disagreement seen earlier between theory and experiment. One now has additional data on the absolute differential electron yields from copper, aluminum and gold, as well as for thin films of frozen hydrocarbons. Representative data are presented.

Electron emission from amorphous solid water induced by passage of energetic protons and fluorine ions.

Absolute doubly differential electron emission yields were measured from thin films of amorphous solid water (ASW) after the transmission of 6 MeV protons and 19 MeV (1 MeV/nucleon) fluorine ions. The ASW films were frozen on thin (1-microm) copper foils cooled to approximately 50 K. Electrons emitted from the films were detected as a function of angle in both the forward and backward direction and as a function of the film thickness. Electron energies were determined by measuring the ejected electron time of flight, a technique that optimizes the accuracy of measuring low-energy electron yields, where the effects of molecular environment on electron transport are expected to be most evident. Relative electron emission yields were normalized to an absolute scale by comparison of the integrated total yields for proton-induced electron emission from the copper substrate to values published previously. The absolute doubly differential yields from ASW are presented along with integrated values, providing single differential and total electron emission yields. These data may provide benchmark tests of Monte Carlo track structure codes commonly used for assessing the effects of radiation quality on biological effectiveness.