https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2008-00054-x
Kinetic energy releases of small amino acids upon interaction with keV ions
1
KVI Atomic Physics, University of Groningen, Zernikelaan 25, 9747AA Groningen, The Netherlands
2
INSP, CNRS UMR 75-88, Universités P. et M. Curie and D. Diderot, 140 rue de Lourmel, 75015 Paris, France
Corresponding author: a tschlat@kvi.nl
Received:
31
December
2007
Revised:
12
February
2008
Published online:
21
March
2008
In chromatin, DNA is tightly packed into one complex together with histone and non-histone proteins. These proteins are known to protect the DNA against indirect and to some extent even direct radiation damage. Radiation action upon amino acids is thus one of the primary steps in biological radiation action. In this paper we investigate the ionization and fragmentation of the gas-phase amino acids glycine, alanine and valine upon interaction with keV α-particles. High resolution coincidence time-of-flight mass spectrometry is used to determine the dominant fragmentation channels as well as fragment kinetic energies.
PACS: 34.70.+e – Charge transfer / 87.15.H- – Dynamics of biomolecules / 87.15.Ht – Ultrafast dynamics; charge transfer
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2008
