Numerical simulation of the human body illuminated by electromagnetic pulse

The illumination of a 3D human body model by electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is numerically analyzed with frequency-dependence time-domain finite-difference ((FD)2 TD) method. The fields in the body exhibit a strong dependence on the rise time of the illuminating pulses. Compared with the incident EMP, the transmitted pulses are narrower in width. No apparent relation between the absorbed energy and the incident energy density is observed, which is much different from that of the harmonic fields. Though the absorbed energy is far below the existing safety limit, the cell in experiment shows a growth inhibition. This phenomenon combined with the numerical results suggests that the safety assessment based on energy absorption is questionable. (authors)