Energy Deposition in Nanometer Regions by 377 MeV/Nucleon 20 Ne Ions

Abstract

Dose as a function of radial distance from a /sup 20/Ne ion beam was determined. These ions had 377 MeV/nucleon energy and were obtained at the Bevalac facility of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. A variable pressure ionization chamber and a double-mesh wall ionization chamber (approximating a wall-less ionization chamber) were used. Linear energy transfer restricted in distance (LET/sub r/) was also determined and the data were extrapolated to obtain LET/sub infinity/. Simulated distances studied were from about 58 A to 1010 ..mu..m of tissue assumed to have a density of 1 g/cm/sup 3/. Experimental results were compared with theoretical calculations; the experimental values on the average were lower by about 6% over the range of distances studied.