Microwave-induced thermoelastic pressure wave propagation in the cat brain

This paper presents direct measurements of acoustic pressure wave propagation in cat brains irradiated with pulsed 2.45-GHz microwaves. Short rectangular microwave pulses (2 microseconds, 15 kW peak power) were applied singly through a direct-contact applicator located at the occipital pole of a cat's head. Acoustic pressure waves were detected by using a small hydrophone transducer, which was inserted stereotaxically into the brain of an anesthetized animal through a matrix of holes drilled on the skull. The measurements clearly indicate that pulsed microwaves induce acoustic pressure waves which propagate with an acoustic wave velocity of 1523 m/s.