[ RadSafe ] WHO: Cell phone use

[McNaughton, Michael]

Chris

The magnetic field of an electromagnetic wave does not cause an electron to move in a spiral. A constant magnetic field does so, but not the alternating magnetic field of an electromagnetic wave.

mike

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Busby, Chris
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2011 4:18 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List; The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] WHO: Cell phone use

Well thats a lot of questions.
The energy of an RF field is proportional to the square of field strength. All the enrgy is transferred to electrons. Just like in a cathode ray tube.
The range of the elctrons is equal to their CSDA range and depends on the decay energy inthe case of internal nuclides and equal to the gamma photon energy less the binding energy (which is second order) in the case of photons. For Sr90 the range is about 400 cells. For tritium a fraction of the cell diameter. 
In the case  of natural background the photoelectron energy fllows the gamma energy which goes as E^-3 roughly and as Z^5 in terms of the absorber, which is why U238 is so dangerous. Z=92. The B filed causes the electrons to jump about aand spin in spirals, bunny hops. And so increase their LET. For the external background it is the low energy electrons that cause the greatest harm. 
The RF energy has been measured from mobiles. It is very large, watts per cc, but the belief is that these watts are not dangerous as the energy cannot be absorbed by covalent bonds. This is true, it is a question of quantum resonance, and the energies are beyond even the rotational levels of simple diatomic molecules.After all the watts per cc from ionising is Grays per second per cc. (1 Gray = 1 joule per kg).
The mechanism is well known. It is the same mechanism as a cathode ray tube focusing ring. Put an electrron in a E or B field and it moves. I would have thought that radsafers knew that. If you look at cloud chamber trac ks you see that at the end of the track the electron curls up in a spiral. That is the effects of the magnetic filed H(0).
If I havent answered everything let me know and ill try. But the real answer is toi do experiments with a end point and run ioniosing and non ionising together. That will give the answer.
Chris