Magnetic material's unusual heating effect could fry cancer cells at the perfect temperature
Friday, February 20, 2015 - 09:30
in Physics & Chemistry
(Phys.org)—When exposed to a varying magnetic field, some conductive materials undergo a temperature increase of about 3-5 K over several minutes. This effect is called induction heating, and it occurs because small electric currents cause heating due to resistance. Now in a new study, scientists have found that, under the same conditions, the temperature of a certain magnetic material increases by more than 20 K in less than a minute—and then abruptly stops and does not increase any further. The large, self-regulated heating power occurs at just the right temperature to potentially enable it to be used as a safe and effective form of hyperthermia treatment of cancer cells.