Stochastics of HZE-induced microlesions.

Fundamental biological experiments with bacteria, yeast, and mammalian cells irradiated with ions heavier than helium indicate that maximal probability of single-hit inactivation does not occur when the ion has LET below about 100-200 keV/micrometer. Theoretical treatments of cell inactivation data and the radiation chemistry in particle tracks are consistent with this finding. If a "microlesion" is defined as a linear array, within a tissue, of cells inactivated with maximum probability, surrounded by non-lethally damaged cells, then, by this definition, there must be an LET below which "microlesion" damage cannot be expected. In a retrospective survey of experimental literature in which single-particle effects in tissues were sought, it was found that little or no evidence has been reported supporting single-particle effects in tissues when LET was below 200 keV/micrometer, while some experimenters who irradiated tissues with particles having LET greater than 200 keV/micrometer reported effects that could be attributed to single-particle tracks.     

Theoretical aspects of heavy ion injections in the magnetosphere: A review

The theoretically expected effects of active heavy ion injections in the magnetosphere are reviewed according to their chemical state (plasma or neutral) and their kinetic state (explosion or beam injection) of release. The early-phase effects of such injections (such as ionospheric heating, wave-particle interactions, radiation belt and ring current modifications and anomalous ionization) are briefly discussed. The need for understanding the magnetospheric modification aspects of heavy ion injections becomes more acute in the next decades when the transportation and construction of large-scale space structures would inject increasing volumes of heavy ions in the magnetosphere by both chemical and ion engines. Ion engine exhaust, in the form of a dense relatively cool plasma beam of high drift speed, represents a new regime of heavy ion magnetospheric modification, the effects of which have not been thoroughly investigated either theoretically or observationally. We envisage that the ion engine can be modified into a useful tool for scientific studies of magnetospheric dynamics since it is a source of a variety of ionic species independent of the need for photoionization.     

等离子体密度对栅极系统束流影响分析

针对现有离子推力器栅极系统束流引出分析中未考虑放电室等离子体密度均匀性影响的不足,基于数值方法对该问题进行了研究。采用单元内粒子 （Particle In Cell,PIC） 方法对栅极系统束流引出进行了数值模拟。PIC方法中电场求解采用有限差分方法,离子加速方法采用跳蛙格式。以国产20cm Xe离子推力器作为算例,计算得到了栅极中心和边缘孔引出束流离子和电场的分布。结果显示栅极中心孔相对边缘孔束流聚焦性好,束流发散角小,但中心孔轴线的鞍点电势较边缘孔高24.8V。因此,放电室等离子体密度分布对束流引出具有重要影响,电子返流现象最先出现在栅极中心位置。     

Heavy ion induced DNA double strand breaks in cells of E. coli.

Vegetative cells of E. coli differing in their radiosensitivity have been used in heavy ion irradiation experiment. Besides inactivation measurements also the induction of DNA double strand breaks (DSB) have been measured using the method of pulse-field gel electrophoresis. This method allows to separate linear DNA with length up to 8 Mio base pairs. After irradiation with heavy ions we find a higher amount of low molecular weight fragments when compared to sparsely ionizing radiation. This agrees with the idea that heavy ions as a structured radiation have a high probability to induce more than one strand break in a DNA molecule if the particle hits the DNA. The amount of intact DNA remaining in the agarose plugs decreases exponentially for increasing radiation doses or particle fluences. From these curves cross sections for the induction of DSB after heavy ion irradiation have been determined. These results will be discussed in comparison to the results for cell survival.     

Heavy ion measurement on LDEF.

A stack of CR-39 track detectors was exposed on the NASA satellite LDEF and recovered after almost 6 years in space. The quick look analysis yielded heavy ion tracks on a background of low energy secondaries from proton interactions. The detected heavy ions show a steep energy spectrum which indicates a radiation belt origin.     

Investigating the cellular effects of isolated radiation tracks using microbeam techniques.

Studies of the effects of radiation at the cellular level have generally been carried out by exposing cells randomly to the charged-particle tracks of a radiation beam. Recently, a number of laboratories have developed techniques for microbeam irradiation of individual cells. These approaches are designed to remove much of the randomness of conventional methods and allow the nature of the targets and pathways involved in a range of radiation effects to be studied with greater selectivity. Another advantage is that the responses of individual cells can be followed in a time-lapse fashion and, for example, processes such as "bystander" effects can be studied clearly. The microbeam approach is of particular importance in mechanistic studies related to the risks associated with exposure to low fluences of charged particles. This is because it is now possible to determine the actions of strictly single particle tracks and thereby mimic, under in vitro conditions, exposures at low radiation dose that are significant for protection levels, especially those involving medium- to high-LET radiations. Overall, microbeam methods provide a new dimension in exploring mechanisms of radiation effect at the cellular level. Microbeam methods and their application to the study of the cellular effects of single charged-particle traversals are described.     

Microdosimetric measurements of heavy ion tracks.

The biological effectiveness of radiations depends on the spatial pattern of ionizations and excitations produced by the charged particle tracks involved. Ionizations produced by both the primary ion and by energetic delta rays may contribute to the production of biologically relevant damage and to the concentration of damage which may effect the probability of repair. Although average energy concentration (dose) can be calculated using homogeneous track models, the energy is actually concentrated in small volumes containing segments of the ion and delta ray tracks. These local concentrations are studied experimentally using low pressure proportional counters, and theoretically, using Monte Carlo methods. Small volumes near an ion track may be traversed by a delta ray. If they are, the energy deposited will be similar to that produced by a single electron track in a low-energy x-ray irradiation. The probability of a delta ray interaction occurring decreases with the square of the radial distance from the track. The average energy deposited is the product of this probability and the energy deposited in an interaction. Average energy deposited calculated from measured interaction probability is in good agreement with the results of homogeneous track models.     

Fragmentation studies of relativistic iron ions using plastic nuclear track detectors.

We measured fluence and fragmentation of high-energy (1 or 5 A GeV) 56Fe ions accelerated at the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron or at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (Brookhaven National Laboratory, NY, USA) using solid-state CR-39 nuclear track detectors. Different targets (polyethylene, PMMA, C, Al, Pb) were used to produce a large spectrum of charged fragments. CR-39 plastics were exposed both in front and behind the shielding block (thickness ranging from 5 to 30 g/cm2) at a normal incidence and low fluence. The radiation dose deposited by surviving Fe ions and charged fragments was measured behind the shield using an ionization chamber. The distribution of the measured track size was exploited to distinguish the primary 56Fe ions tracks from the lighter fragments. Measurements of projectile's fluence in front of the shield were used to determine the dose per incident particle behind the block. Simultaneous measurements of primary 56Fe ion tracks in front and behind the shield were used to evaluate the fraction of surviving iron projectiles and the total charge-changing fragmentation cross-section. These physical measurements will be used to characterize the beam used in parallel biological experiments.     

The FLUKA code for space applications: recent developments.

The FLUKA Monte Carlo transport code is widely used for fundamental research, radioprotection and dosimetry, hybrid nuclear energy system and cosmic ray calculations. The validity of its physical models has been benchmarked against a variety of experimental data over a wide range of energies, ranging from accelerator data to cosmic ray showers in the earth atmosphere. The code is presently undergoing several developments in order to better fit the needs of space applications. The generation of particle spectra according to up-to-date cosmic ray data as well as the effect of the solar and geomagnetic modulation have been implemented and already successfully applied to a variety of problems. The implementation of suitable models for heavy ion nuclear interactions has reached an operational stage. At medium/high energy FLUKA is using the DPMJET model. The major task of incorporating heavy ion interactions from a few GeV/n down to the threshold for inelastic collisions is also progressing and promising results have been obtained using a modified version of the RQMD-2.4 code. This interim solution is now fully operational, while waiting for the development of new models based on the FLUKA hadron-nucleus interaction code, a newly developed QMD code, and the implementation of the Boltzmann master equation theory for low energy ion interactions.     

Structure of heavy ion tracks in Ag-Cl detectors.

The microdosimetric lateral structure of tracks of charged nuclear particles in monocrystalline layers of AgCl-detectors has been measured by means of a videoelectronic computer-controlled image analysing system. The lateral optical density profiles, recorded along the track in sequential steps of 0.2 micrometer show compact tracks with a density maximum around the track axis as well as "coreless" tracks with a density minimum towards the axis. This minimum is more pronounced for particles of high effective charge mean q exceeding approximately 25. The effect of fading of the core depends on the charge state mean q of the particle rather than on its (high) LET. This finding points towards an increased atomic displacement by Coulomb-repulsion into the lattice of the detector of Ag(+)-atoms which are needed for the formation of the track. Examples of measurements and of tracks are presented.     

A comparison of total reaction cross section models used in particle and heavy ion transport codes

Understanding the interactions and propagations of high energy protons and heavy ions are essential when trying to estimate the biological effects of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) and Solar Particle Events (SPE) on personnel in space. To be able to calculate the shielding properties of different materials and radiation risks, particle and heavy ion transport codes are needed. In all particle and heavy ion transport codes, the probability function that a projectile particle will collide within a certain distance x in the matter depends on the total reaction cross sections, and the calculated partial fragmentation cross sections scale with the total reaction cross sections. It is therefore crucial that accurate total reaction cross section models are used in the transport calculations. In this paper, different models for calculating nucleon–nucleus and nucleus–nucleus total reaction cross sections are compared with each other and with measurements. The uncertainties in the calculations with the different models are discussed, as well as their overall performances with respect to the available experimental data. Finally, a new compilation of experimental data is briefly presented.     

Multiple cell hits by particle tracks in solid tissues.

Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE) and Quality Factor (Q) at extreme values of Linear Energy Transfer (LET) have been determined on the basis of experiments with single-cell systems and specific tissue responses. In typical single cell systems, each heavy particle (Ar or Fe) passes through a single cell or no cell. In tissue end-point experiments each heavy particle passes through several cells, and the LET can exceed 200 keV/micrometer in every cell. In most laboratory animal tissue systems, however, only a small portion of the hit cells are capable of expressing the end-point of interest to the investigator, such as cell killing, mutation or carcinogenesis. The following question must therefore be addressed: Do RBE's and Q factors derived from single-cell experiments properly account for the increased probability of multiple-cell damage by HZE tracks? A model is offered in which measured radiation effects and known tissue properties are combined to estimate the value of a multiplier of damage effectiveness on the basis of number of cells at risk, p3n, per track containing a hit cell, where n is the number of cells per track, based on tissue and organ geometry, and P3 is the probability that a cell in the track is capable of expressing the experimental end-point.     

Cellular and subcellular effect of heavy ions: a comparison of the induction of strand breaks and chromosomal aberration with the incidence of inactivation and mutation.

Radiobiological effects of heavy charged particles are compared for a large variety of ions from Helium to Uranium and energies between 1 and 1000 MeV/u which correspond to LET values between 10 and 16000 keV/micrometers. The different cross section for the induction of strand breaks and chromosomal aberrations as well as for inactivation and mutation induction exhibit striking similarities when compared as function of the linear energy transfer (LET). At LET values below 100 keV/micrometers all data points of one specific effect form one single curve as a function of LET, independent of the atomic number of the ion. In this LET range, the biological effects are independ from the particle energy or track structure and depend only on the energy transfer. Therefore, LET is a good parameter in this regime. For LET values greater than 100 keV/micrometers, the curves for the different ions separate from the common curve in order of increasing atomic numbers. In this regime LET is no longer a good parameter and the physical parameters of the formation of particle tracks are important. The similarity of the sigma-LET curves for different endpoints indicates that the 'hook-structure' is produced by physical and chemical effects which occur before the biologically relevant lesions are formed. However, from the existing data of biological effects, it can be concluded that the efficiencies for cell killing are always smaller than those extrapolated from X-ray data on the basis of the energy deposition only. Therefore, cells which are directly hit by an HZE particle are not killed and undergo a finite risk of mutation and transformation.     

空间重粒子击中卤虫卵的定位技术及其生物效应

为了能够估价空间重粒子对单个生物细胞的放射生物学效应,我们设计、制成了卤虫卵-核乳胶夹层式生物包.经搭载我国“8885”卫星飞行数天后回收.用图象分析仪研究了空间重离子在核乳胶上留下的径迹及其分布;并实验观察了卤虫卵的前期发育情况.看到:随星飞行过的卤虫卵与地面对照组相比,其发育能力明显降低,表现为孵化率低且发育时间推迟.实验表明:生物样品板-核乳胶影象定位技术能清楚而比较准确地给出卤虫卵(或其他生物细胞)受重离子作用的信息,是重离子生物效应及其作用机理研究的可行实验手段及分析方法之一.     

High LET-induced H2AX phosphorylation around the Bragg curve.

We investigated the spatial distribution of the induction of the phosphorylated form of the histone protein H2AX (gamma-H2AX), known to be activated by DSBs. Following irradiation of human fibroblast cells with 600 MeV/nucleon silicon and 600 MeV/nucleon iron ions we observed the formation of gamma-H2AX aggregates in the shape of streaks stretching over several micrometers in an x/y plane. Polyethylene shielding was used to achieve a Bragg curve distribution with beam geometry parallel to the monolayer of cells. We present data that highlights the formation of immunofluorescent gamma-H2AX tracks showing the ion trajectories across the Bragg peak of irradiated human fibroblast cells. Qualitative analyses of these distributions indicated potentially increased clustering of DNA damage before the Bragg peak, enhanced gamma-H2AX distribution at the peak, and provided visual evidence of high-linear energy transfer particle traversal of cells beyond the Bragg peak in agreement with one-dimensional transport approximations. Spatial assessment of gamma-H2AX fluorescence may provide direct insights into DNA damage across the Bragg curve for high charge and energy ions including the biological consequences of shielding and possible contributors to bystander effects.     

Inactivation of individual Bacillus subtilis spores in dependence on their distance to single accelerated heavy ions.

In order to understand radiation mechanisms of heavy ions in detail, it is necessary to study effects of single ions on individual biological test objects. Spores of Bacillus subtilis have been used as a suitable small biological test system to measure the inactivation in dependence on the radial distance to the tracks of charged particles. Accelerator experiments have been performed using a modified Biostack technique--biological objects sandwiched between nuclear track detectors. Results of these experiments using ions differing in their energy and atomic number will be discussed under following aspects: (i) methodological differences between the experiments and their possible influences on the results, (ii) common features which are independent on the particle type and energy, (iii) theoretical expectations and problems to find solid theoretical concepts which explain the results.     

PPS-87: a new event oriented solar proton prediction model.

A new event-oriented solar proton prediction model has been developed and implemented at the USAF Space Environment forecast facility. This new model generates predicted solar proton time-intensity profiles for a number of user adjustable energy ranges and is also capable of making predictions for the heavy ion flux. The computer program is designed so a forecaster can select inputs based on the data available in near real-time at the forecast center as the solar flare is occurring. The predicted event amplitude is based on the electromagnetic emission parameters of the solar flare (either microwave or soft X-ray emission) and the solar flare position on the sun. The model also has an update capability where the forecaster can normalize the prediction to actual spacecraft observations of spectral slope and particle flux as the event is occurring in order to more accurately predict the future time-intensity profile of the solar particle flux. Besides containing improvements in the accuracy of the predicted energetic particle event onset time and magnitude, the new model converts the predicted solar particle flux into an expected radiation dose that might be experienced by an astronaut during EVA activities or inside the space shuttle.     

基于各向异性分布的非相干散射雷达谱仿真

基于离子在加热条件下呈现各向异性分布的假设,建立离子声波激发条件下非平衡态的三维离子速度分布函数模型,给出任意视线方向上非相干散射谱的计算方法,分析幅度修正因子、离子声速粒子组分、雷达波束方向与磁场方向夹角及温度各向异性对功率谱的影响.研究结果可以解释离子线谱超过一个量级的幅度增强现象和上行离子线强于下行离子线的不对称现象,对加热强扰动电离层条件下的等离子体参数反演具有重要意义.      

碘工质射频离子推力器栅极系统束流特性仿真

为分析碘工质射频离子推力器束流特性,应用粒子云网格算法（PIC）,对碘工质射频离子推力器栅极系统进行三维数值仿真。碘工质电离产物中除了大量存在的I⁺,还包含少量I₂⁺、I²⁺、I³⁺几种多价离子。对添加多价离子前后束流特性的仿真结果进行对比,得出该栅极系统离子空间分布、电势分布、离子相空间分布以及束流、束流发散角,并对变密度工况下束流大小进行统计。计算结果表明,程序能较好地模拟离子在栅极系统中的运动情况：添加多价离子后,等离子体悬浮电势有所上升,鞍点电势有所下降,但整体电势分布的变化幅度较小;添加多价离子后束流大小略有增加,束流发散角略有减小,通过理论分析可知仿真所得理论推力及理论比冲均有小幅度增加;放电室等离子体数密度增加到约2.4×10¹⁷m^-3时,该栅极系统达到了束流引出的极限,后续增大等离子体密度引出束流不增反降。模拟结果可以为碘工质射频离子推力器栅极系统的设计提供参考。