Figure 2. Comparative diagram on DNA damage induced by Low- and High-LET radiation.

HZE particles, also called “densely ionizing radiation” typically deposit a large amount of their energy along linear tracks referred to as cores, while the remaining energy is deposited radially and uniformly by secondary electrons (i.e. Delta-rays). In contrast, low-LET deposit their energy uniformly and are often referred as “sparsely ionizing radiation”.