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Relative Biological Efficiency of Negative μ-Mesons and Cobalt-60 γ-Rays

Nature volume 200, pages 277–278 (1963)Cite this article

Abstract

THE concept of the relative biological efficiency of different radiations is one that has considerable practical and theoretical interest, and an extensive literature exists which describes in detail the problems of the determination and interpretation of relative biological efficiencies1. Variations in the relative biological efficiency of different radiations are attributable to differences in their ion density or linear energy transfer, defined as the rate of energy loss in eV/μ of irradiated material. Recently an opportunity arose at this laboratory to determine the relative biological efficiency of a highly energetic radiation with low linear energy transfer characteristics—an almost pure beam of μ- mesons. These have a mass of about 200me, one negative charge, and an energy range in this experiment of 2–8 GeV (with a peak at 4–6 GeV).

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Author notes

  1. D. R. DAVIES

    Present address: Wantage Research Laboratory, Wantage, Berks

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department,

    D. R. DAVIES, A. H. SPARROW & R. G. WOODLEY

  2. Accelerator Division, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York

    A. MASCHKE

Authors
  1. D. R. DAVIES
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  2. A. H. SPARROW
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  3. R. G. WOODLEY
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  4. A. MASCHKE
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DAVIES, D., SPARROW, A., WOODLEY, R. et al. Relative Biological Efficiency of Negative μ-Mesons and Cobalt-60 γ-Rays. Nature 200, 277–278 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/200277a0

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