Open AccessCan a hybrid chemical-ferromagnetic model of the avian compass explain its outstanding sensitivity to magnetic noise?
Author(s) -
K. V. Kavokin
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0173887
Subject(s) - magnetoreception , compass , sensitivity (control systems) , cryptochrome , magnetic field , physics , ferromagnetism , noise (video) , magnetization , magnetic nanoparticles , condensed matter physics , nuclear magnetic resonance , earth's magnetic field , chemistry , nanoparticle , quantum mechanics , computer science , electronic engineering , circadian clock , biochemistry , artificial intelligence , engineering , image (mathematics) , gene
While many properties of the magnetic compass of migratory birds are satisfactory explained within the chemical model of magnetoreception, its extreme sensitivity to radio-frequency magnetic fields remains a mystery. Apparently, this difficulty could be overcome if the magnetoreceptor model were augmented with a magnetite nanoparticle, which would amplify the magnetic field at the position of the magneto-sensitive cryptochrome molecule. However, comparison of the radio-frequency power used in the experiment with intrinsic magnetization noise of such a particle, estimated from the theory of fluctuations, shows that the required sensitivity cannot be reached with realistic parameters of iron-oxide nanocrystals.