BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF FIELDS OF THE SIEGE ARRAY
J. A. Martin · 1970
Military researchers studied concentrated microwave 'siege arrays' in 1970, examining pulse field effects and radiation heating in humans.
Plain English Summary
This 1970 technical report examined the biological effects of electromagnetic fields from what's called a 'siege array,' focusing on microwave radiation's impact on the human body. The research investigated pulse field effects and radiation heating patterns, representing early military or defense-related EMF exposure studies. This work contributed to understanding how concentrated electromagnetic energy affects human biology.
Why This Matters
This 1970 military technical report represents a fascinating piece of EMF research history that predates most civilian awareness of electromagnetic health effects. The 'siege array' terminology suggests this was defense-related research into concentrated microwave systems, possibly examining how electromagnetic weapons or high-powered radar systems might affect human targets. What makes this significant is the timing - this research was conducted when the telecommunications industry was just beginning to explore microwave technology for civilian use, yet military researchers were already investigating biological effects of pulse fields and radiation heating. The focus on 'siege' applications indicates they were studying high-intensity exposures far beyond what we encounter from cell phones or WiFi, but the fundamental biological mechanisms remain relevant. This early work laid groundwork for understanding how microwave radiation interacts with human tissue, research that becomes increasingly important as we deploy 5G networks and other high-frequency wireless technologies in our daily environment.
Finding
The field strength under the array is an exponential pulse of the form E(t) = E₀(1 - e^(-t/τ)) where E₀ is the peak value of the field strength and τ is the decay time constant of the pulse (this is the duration tabulated in Table I).
In their words
“The field strength under the array is an exponential pulse of the form E(t) = E₀(1 - e^(-t/τ)) where E₀ is the peak value of the field strength and τ is the decay time constant of the pulse (this is the duration tabulated in Table I).”
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
To evaluate the biological effects of large pulse fields produced by the Siege array generators
Literature survey of biological effects of electromagnetic radiation, computation of voltages and cu...
The study found that the radiation produced by the Siege pulse generators does not appear to be haza...
The radiation produced by the Siege pulse generators does not appear to be hazardous, based on established safety standards for high frequency radiation power densities. The voltages and currents produced by the RPG and Siege 1.2 pulses will not produce serious effects, and it is doubtful that they will produce effects approaching the threshold of perception. There does not appear to be any real basis for expecting sensory or somatic effects from the Siege pulses. These effects are usually related to pulse repetition rates of 50 to 5000 pulses per second at levels sufficient to affect the nervous system. Neither the current levels nor the repetition rates are available in the Siege 1.2 and Siege II fields, and experiences with the RPG does not suggest that these effects are present.
Show BibTeX
@article{biological_effects_of_fields_of_the_siege_array_g3848,
author = {J. A. Martin},
title = {BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF FIELDS OF THE SIEGE ARRAY},
year = {1970},
}