New Study Examines How Pulsed Microwaves Generate Pressure Waves Inside the Brain
RF Transmission & Havana Syndrome | 22 October 2026
A new scientific study has used computer simulations to investigate how pulsed microwave radiation can generate pressure waves inside the human head, offering fresh insight into the physics behind the established microwave auditory effect.
Published on 6 October 2026 in Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express, the research by Cody Donald Baker and colleagues examined how electromagnetic energy interacts with a layered model of the head.
The simulations suggest that rapid energy absorption can produce thermoelastic pressure waves, with their distribution influenced by the duration of microwave pulses and the structure of surrounding tissue.
The findings build upon decades of research into the microwave auditory effect, first investigated experimentally by Allan H. Frey in the early 1960s. Subsequent studies established how rapid, extremely small temperature changes can generate acoustic pressure waves capable of stimulating the auditory system.
The research contributes to understanding microwave-induced pressure waves.
The study highlights how modern computational modelling is continuing to examine a phenomenon first documented more than six decades ago.