Radio Frequency Bioluminescence

[Misha Kuznetsov]

Hello,

I am just wondering whether it is theoretically possible to create radio waves through bioluminescence. I realize that most organisms produce only UV to infrared light. Are there such compounds out there that would allow an organism to make radio waves instead?

 

[PietKuip]

There are no effective antennas for longer waves in organisms. For example, nerve pulses would contain kilohertz frequencies. There is a magnetic near field, which one can measure with squid detectors (superconducting quantum interference devices).

 

[Misha Kuznetsov]

I might be misinterpreting you, but isn't kilohertz a radio frequency?

 

[PietKuip]

Yes, but there is no detectable electromagnetic wave with such frequencies being radiated. One usually measures nerve activity electrically, there are different methods for that. The exception is the brain-wave squid detector which is magnetic, but that is the near field, not a far field EM wave.

 

[Choppy]

Well if you could get it to crawl into a strong magnetic field and then perturb the organism with an RF pulse, you could cause its protons to emit a decaying RF signal that would be detectable with a nearby coil.

If only there were some kind of technology that could make use of that phenomenon to extract information about the organism that could be used to make medical diagnoses...