Irradiation of biomolecular clusters: model systems for the study of radiation damage in living material

摘要支持文件（第2节）的情况下：本研究项目的中心是平行建设，开发和使用两个免费的实验系统，研究过程中诱导的电离辐照生物分子系统。其主要目的是比较辐照簇内特定靶分子与孤立分子的效果。除了他们在分子和统计物理学的根本利益，这些实验将有助于弥合目前的理解在气相中的辐射效应和吸收生物介质之间的复杂性差距。这代表了当前物理学家、化学家和生物学家面临的一个主要研究挑战，在量化癌症治疗期间暴露于不同类型的辐射的影响方面具有重要应用。第一个实验系统是一个多功能和移动的水合DNA碱基簇源，提议在开放大学建造。在为期三年的计划中，该源将用于进行2-和1-光子电子激发实验，以探测溶剂化水分子对关键生物分子的价态和里德伯能态以及相关解离途径的影响。位于里昂核物理研究所的第二个实验系统将能够对快速质子与质量选择的包括DNA碱基和水分子的团簇离子之间的碰撞进行详细研究。在该项目的这一部分的主要技术挑战是一个多符合检测系统的电离簇射，电子发射和自由基的生产质子团碰撞引起的特性的发展。这些分子间过程被认为在生物材料的辐射损伤中起重要作用。

Abstract from the Case for Support document (section 2):This research project is centred upon the parallel construction, development, and use of two complimentary experimental systems to study processes induced by ionisation in irradiated biomolecular systems. The principle objective is to compare the effects of irradiating a specific target molecule within a cluster with the case of the molecule in isolation. In addition to their fundamental interest in molecular and statistical physics, these experiments will help to bridge the complexity gap between the current understanding of radiation effects in the gas phase and in an absorbing biological medium. This represents a major current research challenge for physicists, chemists, and biologists, with important applications in quantifying the effects of exposure to different types of radiation during cancer therapies.The first experimental system is a versatile and mobile source for hydrated DNA base clusters, proposed for construction at the Open University. During the three year programme, this source will be used to carry out 2- and 1-photon electronic excitation experiments to probe the effects of solvated water molecules upon the valence and Rydberg energy states of key biomolecules and the associated dissociation pathways. The second experimental system, located at the Nuclear Physics Institute of Lyon, will enable a detailed study to be carried out on collisions between fast protons and mass-selected cluster ions comprising DNA bases and water molecules. The major technical challenge in this part of the project is the development of a multi-coincidence detection system for the characterisation of ionisation showers, electron emission, and free radical production induced by proton-cluster collisions. These inter-molecular processes are believed to play important roles in radiation damage to living material.