The Johnson Noise in Biological Matter. (7th November 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Scalia, Massimo; Sperini, Massimo; Guidi, Fabrizio
• Other Names: Cattani Carlo Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Mathematical problems in engineering. Volume 2012(2012)
• Publication Date: 2012-11-07
• Subjects: Engineering mathematics -- Periodicals; 510.2462
• DOI: 10.1155/2012/582126
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1024-123X

Abstract

Abstract : Can a very low intensity signal overcome a disturbance, the power density of which is much higher than the signal one, and yield some observable effects? The Johnson noise seems to be a disturbance so high as to cause a negative answer to that question, when one studies the effects on the cell level due to the external ELF fields generated by electric power lines (Adair, 1990, 1991). About this subject, we show that the masking effect due to the Johnson noise, known as "Adair's constraint" and still present in the scientific debate, can be significantly weakened. The values provided by the Johnson noise formula, that is an approximate expression, can be affected by a significant deviation with respect to the correct ones, depending on the frequency and the kind of the cells, human or not human, that one is dealing with. We will give some examples. Eventually, we remark that the so-called Zhadin effect, although born and studied in a different context, could be viewed as an experimental test that gives an affirmative answer to the initial question, when the signal is an extremely weak electromagnetic field and the disturbance is a Johnson noise.