Accurate measurement of the specific absorption rate using a suitable adiabatic magnetothermal setup.

Accurate measurements of the specific absorption rate (SAR) of solids and fluids were obtained by a calorimetric method, using a special-purpose setup working under adiabatic conditions. Unlike in current nonadiabatic setups, the weak heat exchange with the surroundings allowed a straightforward determination of temperature increments, avoiding the usual initial-time approximations. The measurements performed on a commercial magnetite aqueous ferrofluid revealed a good reproducibility (4%). Also, the measurements on a copper sample allowed comparison between experimental and theoretical values: adiabatic conditions gave SAR values only 3% higher than the theoretical ones, while the typical nonadiabatic method underestimated SAR by 21%. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.