scope:

The report gives particular emphasis to the description of quality in terms of linear energy transfer (LET). Report 16 includes major sections on interaction of radiation with matter, definition and concepts of LET, calculation of distributions of absorbed dose in LET, applications of LET calculations, LET in radiation protection, limitations of the LET concept, and other methods of specifying radiation quality. The report also includes appendices covering formulae for mass collision stopping power or LET; measurement of, and theoretical and experimental values for, range, total average rate of energy loss per unit path length and LET; measurement of LET distributions; distributions of ions in clusters; the mean excitation energy; and application of LET in radiation biology and chemical dosimetry.