Specific absorption rates in a flat phantom in the near-field of dipole antennas

National and international regulatory bodies require compliance testing procedures for hand-held wireless telephones. The IEEE has promulgated a compliance verification procedure (P1528) to be followed in verifying whether a wireless phone is compliant with international standards. Manufacturers are required to assess the maximum near-field exposures that phones might produce in the head of a user. A recent intercomparison of the testing procedure has involved the cooperation of 15 government and industrial laboratories. These laboratories measured the 1- and 10-cm³ cubic volume-averaged specific absorption rates (SARs) in a flat phantom filled with a standardized lossy dielectric fluid. The phantom absorber was placed in the near field of a custom dipole antenna. In support of this effort, we have performed a theoretical analysis of the expected SARs in the measurement system, which has allowed comparison with experiment. We have also been able to compare the 1and 10-cm³ volume-averaged SARs for cubic and maximum SAR volumes. There is generally good agreement between experimental and theoretical SAR spatial patterns, and SARs averaged over 1- and 10-cm³ cubic volumes. The 1- and 10-cm³ average SARs in the shapes giving maximum SARs are about 35% larger compared to cubic volumes