Using a 120-cm Cyclotron to Study the Combined Effects of Ionizing Radiation and Hypomagnetic Conditions on Lettuce Seeds

The impact of ionizing radiation and hypomagnetic conditions on seeds of the lettuce Lactuca sativa L. is studied on the 120-cm cyclotron at the Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics. The seeds are irradiated with α-particles with energies of around 25.8 MeV and placed to germinate in a hypomagnetic chamber under conditions of an attenuated (up to 2500 times) geomagnetic field. Chromosomal aberrations in the first mitosis of the root meristem are analyzed. Changes in the irradiated samples are observed when compared to control samples. Hypomagnetic conditions greatly magnify the negative impact of ionizing radiation.