Numerical investgation of the laser heating of gold nanoparticles including thermal and dielectric changes in the local medium

Finite element simulations have been performed for the dynamics of heating and cooling of a single spherical gold nanoparticle and surrounding fluid environment by laser pulses of nanosecond duration in the limit of validity of Mie theory. Thermal and dielectric property changes of the surrounding medium are taken into account in the model. It has been shown that such changes significantly affect the temperature reached by the particle and surrounding microenvironment. The aim of this study is to provide useful insights for the development of biomedical applications of gold nanoparticles.