A Study of the Interaction of Millimeter Wave Fields with Biological Systems.
Abstract
Our study of the interaction of millimeter wave fields with biological systems has concentrated on Davydov's model of soliton formation in alpha-helices. A qualitative understanding has been obtained for the oscillatory modes of proteins in the millimeter and submillimeter regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Four separate groups of frequencies are found to exist in short alpha-helices, ranging from 200 gigahertz to 6 terahertz. In long alpha-helices, soliton trapping is predicted for multiquanta excitation at zero temperature, while the existence of solitons at room temperature is called into question. A molecular orbital calculation of the exciton-phonon coupling constant in the formamide dimer suggests that the value of this critical constant still needs to be determined. The results point up the need for further molecular orbital calculations and experimental verification in order to understand the interaction of millimeter waves with biological systems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA144150
Entities
People
- A. Lawrence
- B. Pierce
- David Chang
- Jay W. McDaniel
Organizations
- Hughes Aircraft Company