Calculated SAR distributions in a human voxel phantom due to the reflection of electromagnetic fields from a ground plane between 65 MHz and 2 GHz.
If an electromagnetic field is incident normally onto a perfectly conducting ground plane, the field is reflected back into the domain. This produces a standing wave above the ground plane. If a person is present within the domain, absorption of the field in the body may cause problems regarding compliance with electromagnetic guidelines. To investigate this, the whole-body averaged specific energy absorption rate (SAR), localised SAR and ankle currents in the voxel model NORMAN have been calculated for a variety of these exposures under grounded conditions. The results were normalised to the spatially averaged field, a technique used to determine a mean value for comparison with guidelines when the field varies along the height of the body. Additionally, the external field values required to produce basic restrictions for whole-body averaged SAR have been calculated. It was found that in all configurations studied, the ICNIRP reference levels and IEEE MPEs provided a conservative estimate of these restrictions.
Findlay
R P
RP
Health Protection Agency, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon, UK. richard.findlay@hpa.org.uk
Dimbylow
P J
PJ
D001822:Body Burden; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011846:Radio Waves; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D013997:Time Factors; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation