Studies on Mammalian Cells Exposed to Electrons at Ultrahigh Dose Rates from a 600 KV Field Emission Pulsed Source

Radiobiological experiments on cultured mammalian cells employing a 600 kV field emission accelerator as the radiation source will be described. The accelerator provides single 3 ns pulses of electrons with dose rate capability several orders of magnitude higher than the 1011 rad/sec dose rates employed in the studies reported here. Experimental data will be presented which yield new information on cellular oxygen diffusion time, lifetimes of radiation-induced reactive species, radiolytic oxygen depletion, and on repair of sublethal cellular damage.