TEMPERATURE PROFILES IN SPHERES DUE TO ELECTROMAGNETIC HEATING

The prediction of the temperature rise in tissues due to electromagnetic heating is important in studies of possible biological effects of microwave radiation. This study predicts the steady state temperature rise in a homogeneous tissue sphere exposed to plane wave electromagnetic energy. The differential equation for heat transfer is solved, assuming heat transfer mechanisms of convection (due to blood flow), conduction, and evapotranspiration from the surface. The tissue heating is described by the specific absorption rate (SAR), which is a known function of the size and dielectric properties of the sphere and the frequency of the incident electromagnetic energy. The results of this study are used to predict the maximum temperature rise in the human head, produced by an incident electromagnetic plane wave.