Energy spectra of He+ ions penetrating thick biological targets

Energy spectra of 500 keV-1MeV He+ ion penetrating 50 μm-100 μm thick seed coat of maize, fruit peel of grape and of tomato, are measured. The results indicate that these thick biological targets, as seen by the penetrating ions, are inhomogeneous, and there are open paths, along which the incident ions can penetrate the targets easily. While most of the incident ions are stopped in the targets, some of the penetrating ions only lose a small fraction of their initial incident energy. The penetration energy spectra show a pure electronic stopping feature. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) micrographs taken from these samples with thickness of 30 μm indicate that 150 keV electron beam from the TEM can penetrate the thick samples to give very good images with clear contrast. The electronic structures of β-1,4 glucosan molecular chains, which is deemed as the most important constituent of the cell walls of seed coats and peels of fruits, are calculated to show the possible open-path directions which exist in biological samples. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)