[The mutagenic effect of accelerated heavy ions on E. coli cells]

In studying E. coli mutation rate as a function of dose of different types of ionizing radiation it was found that mutagenic efficiency of helium ions (LET-22, 54 and 72 keV/microns) was higher than that of gamma-rays. As LET increased the mutagenic efficiency decreased. The mutation rate for all types of radiation under study was both a power function and a linear-quadratic function of dose.