Cell inactivation by ionizing particles and the shapes of survival curves

Recent experiments concerning the survival of monolayer cells irradiated by different parts of ion Bragg peaks opened a way to a deeper mechanistic understanding of cell inactivation. A new theoretical formula for survival curves has been derived reflecting two basic phases of the given mechanism, i.e. energy transfer to a cell nucleus and subsequent biological effect (depending on the amount of imparted energy). The survival ratio for a given dose has been expressed as a function of inactivation probabilities of individual cells after different numbers of nucleus hits (a given amount of energy being transferred to a cell nucleus in each ion traversal). Having used the experimental data for V79 cells irradiated by protons, deuterons and helium ions in different parts of Bragg peaks preliminary values of these inactivation probabilities for individual cells at different LET values have been established.