Monte Carlo simulation of K ionization induced by ions in nuclei

A simple analytical model has evidences a strong correlation between experimental cross sections of inactivation by heavy ions and K-vacancy cross sections in C, O atoms of DNA. We present here a more detailed analysis based on a full Monte-Carlo simulation of K ionizations induced by the primary ion itself and by secondary electrons. This simulation has been used to perform further tests of the K-model for inactivation, especially: comparison of lethal efficiencies of K ionizations induced either by ions or by electrons: these are extracted from a fit of experimental inactivation cross sections electron contributions) dominate; comparison of experimental and calculated inactivation cross sections as a function of the impact parameter of the ion with respect to cell nucleus. (authors)