The Action of Fast Carbon and Heavier Ions on Biological Materials: I. The Inactivation of Dried Enzymes

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Abstract
Experiments are described on the inactivation of the dry enzymes B-galactosidase and trypsin by C, O, and F ions with an energy of 10 Mev/AMU. Results are intelligible if one considers the ionization produced by a heavy ion to consist of a heavily ionized track which inactivates everything through which it passes, and a surrounding cloud of 6 -electrons, the density of which varies as the square of the charge on the ion. The biological effect of the 6 -electrons can be calculated by assuming a single ionization inactivates a single molecule. The good agreement between theory and experiment validates the use of target theory in this case. No additional mechanism for inactivation by these heavily ionizing particles needs to be invoked.