Measurement of DNA Double-Strand Break Yield in Human Cancer Cells by High-Current, Short-Duration Bunches of Laser-Accelerated Protons

To investigate the radiobiological effects of high dose rates that are attributed to high current, short bunch beam generation with laser-dreven ion acceleration, we have developed an experimental setup that uses laser-accelerated protons. In-vitro human lung cancer cells: A549 pulmonary adenocarcinoma are irradiated with a laser-accelerated proton bunches with a duration of 2×10-8 s and flux of ~1015 cm-2 s-1, amounting to single bunch absorbed dose at the 1 Gy level. The double-strand break (DSB) yield in cell DNA is analyzed for the laser-accelerated proton beam at an average LET of 41 keV/µm.