Biological Effect of Space Radiation Simulated at Ground Base Plasma Facility

Schemed with high repetition rate, the plasma focus device promises to simulate the radiation environment and analyze the biological effects on cells. The most radiation-sensitive site within the cell, DNA, could be irradiated by 110 j proton beams at high operation frequency. Such plasma device if operated at 1 Hz repetition rate produces ten Double-Strand breaks, DSB, per second. The surviving fraction of the DNA is likely to be more affected by higher dose frequencies.