A Hybrid MoM/FDTD Method for Dosimetry of Small Animal in Reverberation Chamber

A hybrid approach combining the method of moment (MoM) and the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is applied to a problem of evaluating specific absorption rates (SARs) in a small rat inside a reverberation chamber (RC). The hybrid method is an alternative technique used to overcome the problem of poor convergence for a solution of the FDTD method in analyzing the RC. First, the RC with a dipole or a helical antenna is designed numerically to function properly at 2 GHz. Then, the MoM/FDTD method is used to calculate the whole-body average SAR (WBA-SAR) for a small animal inside an open cavity. The results are compared with those obtained with the FDTD method in order to verify accuracy. The SAR distributions when stirrers are rotating are also determined. Finally, it is numerically found that the ratio of the WBA-SAR of the 118 g rat to the mean squared electric field is 0.149 (mW/kg)/(V/m)(2) and an input antenna power of 2.2 W is required to produce a WBA-SAR of 4 W/kg for our designed chamber.