Numerical and analytical inspection of magnetic field effects in the radical pair mechanism by a simplified rate equation model.

The radical pair mechanism is by now the most prominent candidate for a biologically relevant quantum effect of magnetic fields. Recently, N. Ikeya and J. R. Woodward demonstrated a magnetic field effect for sub-extremely low frequency (ELF) fields in the mT range by investigating the autofluorescence spectrum of flavin adenine dinucleotide in living HeLa cells. We apply a simple rate equation model to show numerically and analytically that magnetic field effects can be expected to exist in the whole ELF range.