7Li和12C离子致DNA链断裂的研究

选用HI-13串列加速器产生的不同传能线密度的⁷Li和¹²C重离子,以不同的剂量对纯化的质粒DNA水溶液进行了辐照.利用原子力显微镜对这两种重离子诱发的DNA损伤进行了纳米水平的结构分析,并用ScionImage分析软件完成了DNA碎片长度的测量.得到了DNA分子超螺旋、开环和线性三种形态随剂量的变化情况以及DNA碎片长度的分布函数,并用Tsallis熵统计理论对实验结果进行了拟合.     

HIRFL浅层肿瘤治疗终端治癌碳离子束物理特性的测量

对HIRFL浅层肿瘤治疗终端提供的碳离子束的物理特性进行了首次测量. 结果显示, 能量为80.55MeV/u的¹²C离子束, 其束流强度在0.001—0.1nA范围时, 直径50mm照射野的均匀性为73.48%, 束流强度在一段时间内的稳定性为80.87%. 测得了束流在治疗装置等中心处的深度剂量分布, 其高剂量的Bragg峰位处在13.866mm的水等效深度, 反推出碳离子束在等中心处对应的能量为71.71MeV/u, 与计算值基本吻合. 对自由空气电离室的读数进行了吸收剂量的标定. 测量结果显示, HIRFL浅层肿瘤治疗装置性能与临床治疗的要求相比稍有差距, 为了达到治疗终端进行临床试验的要求, 须对治癌装置性能做进一步的优化.     

CSR的辐射防护

CSR(cooling storage ring)按计划将于2005年底建成调束,届时从¹²C到²³⁸U的重离子将可以分别被加速到900和400MeV的能量. HIRFL(兰州重离子加速器Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou)将 用作CSR的注入器. 为了CSR的屏蔽设计,本文利用现有的实验数据计算了由于束流损失产生的中子及其能谱、角分布,同时也估算了屏蔽体外表面的中子剂量、环境中子剂量及天空返照中子剂量. 在源项计算中使用了400MeV/u ¹²C+Cu反应的中子产额、能谱、角分布的实验数据. 计算表明, CSR对环境剂量影响最大的是天空返照中子.     

46.7MeV/u 12C引起的弹核碎裂反应

测量了46.7MeV/u ¹²C束流轰击不同靶核的核反应中前方向出射的类弹碎片,发现弹核碎裂产物的最可几能量可用Abrasion图象来解释.它们的平行动量分布宽度满足Goldhaber关系式,实验中提取的约化平行动量分布宽度σ₀=80±10MeV/c,接近于相对论情形下的值,并且σ₀对于不同的反应系统有相近的值.     

丰中子核8He在Si靶上的反应总截面的测量

利用HIRFL 50MeV/u ¹³C束流在Be靶上碎裂,RIBLL选择出丰中子放射性次级束流⁸He,实验测量了25—40MeV/u ⁸He在²⁸Si靶上的反应总截面.采用双参数HO密度分布形式,通过微观Glauber模型拟合⁸He实验数据,发现⁸He具有扩展的中子密度分布.实验结果与Warner反应总截面实验和Alkhazov弹性散射实验结果较好地符合.     

30MeV/u 40Ar+112,124Sn反应后角能谱温度的同位旋效应

在30MeV/u ⁴⁰Ar+^112,124Sn反应中用平行板雪崩计数器实现了前冲余核的测量.在不同的线性动量转移下用运动源模型拟合了后角的³He,α和⁶He能谱,发现³He的能谱斜率温度在¹²⁴Sn系统中高于¹¹²Sn系统,而⁶He的温度在¹¹²Sn系统中更高,α粒子在两个系统中没有明显差别.用热核粒子蒸发过程衰变道的选择性对这种同位旋相关性进行了解释.GEMINI的计算不能重现实验结果.     

37Ar测量系统的研制与能谱测量方法研究

建立了移动式³⁷Ar测量系统.采用1 L的正比计数探测器和能谱分析方法对³⁷Ar的测量进行了研究.分析了计数管的坪长、坪斜和本底等特点.结果表明,相比传统的计数方法,采用电子能谱法测量³⁷Ar具有直观、坪长长、坪斜小等优点.相比传统的总计数方法,采用峰本底的方法可以将本底降低约一个量级,从而降低³⁷Ar的探测下限.并研究了工作气体中不同甲烷含量对³⁷Ar的测量能谱和计数管工作电压的影响,结果表明,     

37Ar测量系统的研制与能谱测量方法研究

建立了移动式³⁷Ar测量系统.采用1 L的正比计数探测器和能谱分析方法对³⁷Ar的测量进行了研究.分析了计数管的坪长、坪斜和本底等特点.结果表明，相比传统的计数方法，采用电子能谱法测量³⁷Ar具有直观、坪长长、坪斜小等优点.相比传统的总计数方法，采用峰本底的方法可以将本底降低约一个量级，从而降低³⁷Ar的探测下限.并研究了工作气体中不同甲烷含量对³⁷Ar的测量能谱和计数管工作电压的影响，结果表明，     

CSRe的 Schottky束流诊断系统的研制

 介绍了Schottky信号的产生原理。研制了CSRe的Schottky束流诊断系统,该系统由一对平行的Schottky电极板、四分之一波螺旋谐振腔、低噪声放大器及数据获取系统组成。利用能量为481.88 MeV/u的⁷⁸Kr³⁶⁺束流对Schottky束流诊断系统进行灵敏度测试。结果表明该系统能够测量流强大于82 nA的束流。     

CSRm内靶实验中的轻离子束流寿命模拟研究

 建立了内靶对兰州冷却储存环主环束流影响的单粒子跟踪模拟程序,对pellet小丸靶和碳靶对束流带来的负面影响进行了模拟研究,主要讨论CSRm内靶实验中的束流存活率和束流寿命状态。结果显示利用厚度为1×10¹⁶ atoms×cm^-2小丸内靶时,2.6 GeV质子束流寿命在100 s量级,而对于目前技术水平下的碳膜靶 (厚度为 5×10¹⁷ atoms×cm^-2),质子束流寿命为s量级;束流寿命和束流能量基本成正比关系,束流寿命和内靶厚度近似成反比关系。     

Response of a tissue equivalent proportional counter to neutrons

The absorbed dose as a function of lineal energy was measured at the CERN-EC Reference-field Facility (CERF) using a 512-channel tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC), and neutron dose equivalent response evaluated. Although there are some differences, the measured dose equivalent is in agreement with that measured by the 16-channel HANDI tissue equivalent counter. Comparison of TEPC measurements with those made by a silicon solid-state detector for low linear energy transfer particles produced by the same beam, is presented. The measurements show that about 4% of dose equivalent is delivered by particles heavier than protons generated in the conducting tissue equivalent plastic.     

In-flight radiation measurements on STS-60

A joint investigation between the United States and Russia to study the radiation environment inside the Space Shuttle flight STS-60 was carried out as part of the Shuttle-Mir Science Program (Phase 1). This is the first direct comparison of a number of different dosimetric measurement techniques between the two countries. STS-60 was launched on 3 February 1994 in a nearly circular 57 degrees x 353 km orbit with five U.S. astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut for 8.3 days. A variety of instruments provided crew radiation exposure, absorbed doses at fixed locations, neutron fluence and dose equivalent, linear energy transfer (LET) spectra of trapped and galactic cosmic radiation, and energy spectra and angular distribution of trapped protons. In general, there is good agreement between the U.S. and Russian measurements. The AP8 Min trapped proton model predicts an average of 1.8 times the measured absorbed dose. The average quality factor determined from measured lineal energy, y, spectra using a tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC), is in good agreement with that derived from the high temperature peak in the 6LiF thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs). The radiation exposure in the mid-deck locker from neutrons below 1 MeV was 2.53 +/- 1.33 microSv/day. The absorbed dose rates measured using a tissue equivalent proportional counter, were 171.1 +/- 0.4 and 127.4 +/- 0.4 microGy/day for trapped particles and galactic cosmic rays, respectively. The combined dose rate of 298.5 +/- 0.82 microGy/day is about a factor of 1.4 higher than that measured using TLDs. The westward longitude drift of the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) is estimated to be 0.22 +/- 0.02 degrees/y. We evaluated the effects of spacecraft attitudes on TEPC dose rates due to the highly anisotropic low-earth orbit proton environment. Changes in spacecraft attitude resulted in dose-rate variations by factors of up to 2 at the location of the TEPC.     

The response of a spherical tissue-equivalent proportional counter to different heavy ions having similar velocities

A tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) has been used as a dosimeter in mixed radiation fields. Since it does not measure LET directly, the response function must be characterized in order to estimate quality factor and thus equivalent dose for the incident radiation. The objectives of this study were to measure the response of a spherical TEPC for different high-energy heavy ions (HZE) having similar velocity and to determine how quality factors can be determined. Data were obtained at the HIMAC heavy ion accelerator for ⁴He and ¹²C at (β=0.59) and ¹²C, ¹⁶O, ²⁸Si and ⁵⁶Fe at (β=0.70). A particle spectrometer recorded the charge and position of each incident beam particle. Events with low energy deposition were observed for particles that passed through the wall of the TEPC but not through the sensitive volume. The frequency averaged lineal energy, , was always less than the LET of the incident particles. The dose averaged lineal energy, , was approximately equal to LET for particles with LET greater than 10 keV/μm, whereas was larger than LET for the lighter particles with lower LET. Part of this effect is due to detector resolution and energy straggling that increases the variance of the response function. Although the TEPC is not a LET spectrometer, it can provide real time measurements of dose and provide estimates of quality factors for HZE particles using averaged values of lineal energy.     

A study of the radiation environment on board the Space Shuttle flight STS-57

A joint NASA-Russian study of the radiation environment inside a SPACEHAB 2 locker on Space Shuttle flight STS-57 was conducted. The Shuttle flew in a nearly circular orbit of 28.5 degrees inclination and 462 km altitude. The locker carried a charged particle spectrometer, a tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC), and two area passive detectors consisting of combined NASA plastic nuclear track detectors (PNTDs) and thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs), and Russian nuclear emulsions, PNTDs and TLDs. All the detector systems were shielded by the same Shuttle mass distribution. This makes possible a direct comparison of the various dose measurement techniques. In addition, measurements of the neutron energy spectrum were made using the proton recoil technique. The results show good agreement between the integral LET spectrum of the combined galactic and trapped particles using the tissue equivalent proportional counter and track detectors between about 15 keV/micrometers and 200 keV/micrometers. The LET spectrum determined from nuclear emulsions was systematically lower by about 50%, possibly due to emulsion fading. The results show that the TEPC measured an absorbed dose 20% higher than the TLDs, due primarily to an increased TEPC response to neutrons and a low sensitivity of TLDs to high LET particles under normal processing techniques. There is a significant flux of high energy neutrons that is currently not taken into consideration in dose equivalent calculations. The results of the analysis of the spectrometer data will be reported separately.     

均匀磁场下碳离子束剂量平均LET及纳剂量学量的分布

随着磁共振成像(MRI)技术的发展,图像引导放射治疗在放射肿瘤学中的作用和重要性正在迅速增加,本研究分析了外加均匀磁场对碳离子束的剂量平均LET以及纳剂量学量的影响。通过基于GEANT4内核的GATE蒙特卡罗(Monte Carlo, MC)模拟平台,模拟计算了不同磁场环境下,不同能量碳离子束剂量平均LET和纳剂量学量的分布。结果发现,平行磁场对碳离子束的剂量平均LET和纳剂量学量均无显著影响,垂直磁场对碳离子束的剂量平均LET及纳剂量学量的影响主要集中在布拉格峰区域,其影响主要是碳离子束在磁场中受到洛伦兹力作用而发生横向偏转,进而使得碳离子束布拉格峰位置发生横向侧移导致的。这些结果为进一步研究磁场对碳离子束治疗性能的影响打下了坚实的基础。     

碳离子束混合LET辐照的EBT3辐射变色胶片剂量修正方法

针对EBT3辐射变色胶片对碳离子束混合LET辐照的剂量欠响应比较了两种剂量修正方法。利用260 MeV/u的碳离子束通过被动降能得到多种剂量平均LET的碳离子束,利用这些碳离子束进行了胶片剂量响应刻度辐照,选择最佳的拟合公式得到了胶片剂量刻度曲线。使用RE(Relative Efficiency)量化了EBT3胶片随LET的剂量欠响应,并使用RE剂量修正法修正了混合LET辐照胶片的剂量。此外,根据剂量刻度曲线公式中拟合参数随不同LET所占剂量比例的变化规律,提出了拟合参数剂量修正法并修正了混合LET辐照胶片的剂量。最后比较了这两种方法的结果,表明拟合参数方法得到的剂量偏差在5%以内,优于RE方法10%以内的剂量偏差。     

放射性束辐照生物学效应及相关生物物理机理

介绍了β缓发粒子衰变放射性束 9C辐照处于不同贯穿深度上人类唾液腺细胞的深度存活效应。 与稳定的 12C束流相比, 放射性 9C束流在其Bragg峰区附近展示了增强的生物学效应, 即细胞的致死效率明显增强。 探讨了放射性束 9C在其Bragg峰区展示增强生物学效应的生物物理机制, 并介绍了利用另一种放射性束 8B进行辐照生物学效应研究的新进展。 最后, 提出了一些利用放射性束可进行的辐照生物学效应前沿研究。 The depth survival effect of a β delayed particle decay 9C beam on human salivary gland (HSG) cells is presented in this paper. Compared with a stable 12C ion beam, the radioactive 9C ion beam showed an enhanced biological effect, i.e., remarkably enhanced efficiency in cell killing, at the penetration depths around its Bragg peak. The biophysical mechanisms underlying the enhanced biological effect are discussed herein, and the latest progress in biological effect induced by another radioactive 8B ion beam is introduced. In the end of this paper, several topics concerning the frontier of the radiation induced biological effects using radioactive ion beams are proposed.     

Effects of trapped proton flux anisotropy on dose rates in low Earth orbit.

Trapped protons in the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) have a rather narrow pitch angle distribution and exhibit east-west anisotropy. In low Earth orbits, the E-W effect results in different amounts of radiation dose received by different sections of the spacecraft. This effect is best studied on missions in which the spacecraft flies in a fixed orientation. The magnitude of the effect depends on the particle energy and altitude through the SAA. In this paper, we describe a clear example of this effect from measurements of radiation dose rates and linear energy transfer spectra made on Space Shuttle flight STS-94 (28.5 degree inclination x 296 km altitude). The ratio of dose rates from the two directions at this location in the mid-deck was 2.7. As expected from model calculations, the spectra from the two directions are different, that is the ratio is energy dependent. The data can be used to distinguish the anisotropy models. The flight carried an active tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC), and passive thermoluminscent detectors (TLDs), and two types of nuclear emulsions. Using nuclear emulsions, charged particles and secondary neutron energy spectra were measured. The combined galactic cosmic radiation+trapped charged particle lineal energy spectra measured by the TEPC and the linear energy transfer spectrum measured by nuclear emulsions are in good agreement. The charged particle absorbed dose rates varied from 112 to 175 microGy/day, and dose equivalent rates from 264.3 to 413 microSv/day. Neutrons in the 1-10 MeV contributed a dose rate of 3.7 microGy/day and dose equivalent rate of 30.8 microSv/day, respectively.     

Effects of target fragmentation on evaluation of LET spectra from space radiations: implications for space radiation protection studies

We present calculations of linear energy transfer (LET) spectra in low earth orbit from galactic cosmic rays and trapped protons using the HZETRN/BRYNTRN computer code. The emphasis of our calculations is on the analysis of the effects of secondary nuclei produced through target fragmentation in the spacecraft shield or detectors. Recent improvements in the HZETRN/BRYNTRN radiation transport computer code are described. Calculations show that at large values of LET (> 100 keV/μm) the LET spectra seen in free space and low earth orbit (LEO) are dominated by target fragments and not the primary nuclei. Although the evaluation of microdosimetric spectra is not considered here, calculations of LET spectra support that the large lineal energy (y) events are dominated by the target fragments. Finally, we discuss the situation for interplanetary exposures to galactic cosmic rays and show that current radiation transport codes predict that in the region of high LET values the LET spectra at significant shield depths (> 10 g/cm² of Al) is greatly modified by target fragments. These results suggest that studies of track structure and biological response of space radiation should place emphasis on short tracks of medium charge fragments produced in the human body by high energy protons and neutrons.     

LET spectra measurements on LDEF: variations with shielding and location

LET spectra measurements made with passive plastic nuclear track detectors (PNTDs) were found to depend on detector orientation, shielding and experiment location. LET spectra were measured at several locations on LDEF as part of the P0006 LETSME experiment (Benton and Parnell, 1984), the P0004 Seeds in Space experiment (Parks and Alston, 1984), the A0015 Free Flyer Biostacks and the M0004 Fiber Optics Data Link experiment (Taylor, 1984). Locations included the east, west and Earth sides of the LDEF satellite. The LET spectra measured with PNTDs deviated significantly from calculations, especially for high LET particles (LET_∞·H₂O ≥ 100 keV/μm). At high LETs, short-range inelastic secondary particles produced by trapped proton interactions with the nuclei of the detector were found to be the principal contributor to LET spectra. At lower LETs, the spectra appeared to be due to short-range, inelastic and stopping primary protons, with primary GCR particles making a smaller contribution.

The dependence of LET spectra on detector orientation and shielding was studied using the four orthogonal stacks in the P0006 experiment. Both measurements of total track density and LET spectra showed a greater number of particles arriving from the direction of space than from Earth. Measurements of LET spectra in CR-39 PNTD on the east (leading) and west (trailing) sides of LDEF showed a higher rate of production at the west side. This was caused by a larger flux of trapped protons on the west side as predicted by the east/west trapped proton anisotropy in the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA).

Track density measured in CR-39 PNTDs increased as a function of shielding depth in the detector stack. A similar measurement made in a thick stack of CR-39 interspersed with layers of Al and exposed to 154 MeV protons at a ground-based accelerator showed a similar result, indicating that a significant fraction of the particle events counted were from secondaries and that the total cross-section for production of proton-induced secondaries increased as the energy of primary protons attenuated. Little change was seen in either total differential or integral LET spectra as a function of shielding depth, indicating that the increase in cross section with decreasing proton energy affected mostly the shorter range secondary components. Similarity in the slopes of LET spectra from ground-based proton exposures and the A0015 LET spectra showed that modeling of a monoenergetic proton beam transported through a 1-D geometry was a useful first step in modeling the production of secondary particles by trapped protons in the SAA.