Structure of fast ion energy depositions in water. Application to the Monte Carlo study of cellular inactivation

In order to understand the physical processes involved in the heavy ion irradiation of biological samples, a Monte Carlo simulation code and a random inventory code for interaction clusters in volumes comparable to those of sensible biological sites like nucleosomes (few nm3) have been developed. It is now well known that macroscopic parameters like the dose rate or the stopping power are not suitable to explain the cellular inactivation induced by heavy ions irradiation. The aim of this work is the development of a mechanistic model based on the identification of primary processes susceptible to be of major importance on the biological aspect. The code developed simulates the creation and transport in water of all secondary particles produced by the impact of heavy ions. Once all energy depositions generated, an algorithm of random inventory of interaction clusters has been built in order to evaluate the type of critical energy deposition which presents a correlation with the experimental data of cellular inactivation. For light ions, like particles, this cluster model has permitted to reproduce the variations of the experimental number of lethal lesions observed, in particular the decay of biological efficiency. However, for heavy ions, these parameters do not allow to reproduce the experimental data of cellular inactivation. Therefore, the concept of ionization clusters described in terms of critical deposition in critical volumes is not sufficient. (J.S.)