Unique Biophysical Studies with Diatomic Deuterium Beams

By irradiating cells attached to thin Mylar foils with diatomic deuteron beams, the role of interaction distance in radiobiology can be investigated in a unique manner. The molecule breaks up into two separate ions which diverge from each other because of the multiple scattering process in the foil and in the cellular material. A distribution of separation distances results whose characteristic separation depends on the Mylar foil thickness. An experimental facility to use diatomic beams is described. Cell survival results for V79 Chinese hamster cells synchronized in late S phase show that damage does result from tracks separated by as much as 250 nm. However, damage also results from interaction at nanometer dimensions.