The biophysical simulation tool PARTRAC has been primarily developed to model radiation physics, chemistry and biology on nanometre to micrometre scales. However, the tool can be applied in simulating radiation effects in an event-by-event manner over macroscopic volumes as well. Benchmark simulations are reported showing that PARTRAC does reproduce the macroscopic Bragg peaks of proton beams, although the penetration depths are underestimated by a few per cent for high-energy beams. PARTRAC also quantifies the increase in DNA damage and its complexity along the beam penetration depth. Enhanced biological effectiveness is predicted in particular within distal Bragg peak parts of therapeutic proton beams.

Department of Radiation Dosimetry Nuclear Physics Institute of the CAS Na Truhlářce 39 64 18000 Prague Czech Republic

Institute of Radiation Medicine Department of Radiation Sciences Helmholtz Zentrum München German Research Center for Environmental Health Ingolstädter Landstr 1 85764 Neuherberg Germany

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