Stochastic simulations of magnetic nanoparticles with magneto-hyperthermia applications

• Grant number: 12/50002-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: April 01, 2012
• End date: August 07, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Mário José de Oliveira
• Grantee: Gabriel Teixeira Landi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The primary goal of this project is to investigate, both from a theoretical and computational standpoint, the intimate relation between the thermal and magnetic properties of magnetic nanoparticles. These systems are of both academic and practical interest, in view of the potential for nanoparticles in oncological treatment applications by means of the magneto-hyperthermia technique. Our starting point is the Néel-Brown theory where the magnetic dynamic equation is augmented with a random thermal field based on the formalism of stochastic processes. This approach was initiated in the Ph.D. thesis of the candidate whose focus was on dynamic hysteresis, the underlying principle in a variety of experiments, including magneto-hyperthermia. Notwithstanding our previous progress, there remains several aspects liable for investigation. These form part of the content of the present project. However, due the inherent limitations of the Néel-Brown theory, we also aim to implement new, more robust, theoretical models. These include the Landau-Lifshitz-Bloch equation, jump-noise processes and dipolar interaction. We are also currently participating in an active collaboration with the group of Prof. Andris Bakuzis at the Universidade Federal de Goiás, which performs experiments on magneto-hyperthermia. In our viewpoint, comparing theory and experiment is paramount for advancing substantially in this important application. (AU)