A critical analysis of radiation-matter interaction

One of the authors (MM) would like to dedicate this paper to the late Miche le Costato (1940-1997). He was a real teacher and a restless researcher. Hi s scientific curiosity together with his respect for everybody's ideas and his deep interest for discussion made him the perfect participant in a rese arch team and not only. NC could spend hours in elucidating the many facets of a problem with a student or showing the way in the delicate and intrica te field of bibliographical investigations in such complex areas of biophys ics (or physical biology, or biological physics or any of Me fields that co ver part of the boundary between physics and biology). For this and other r easons the authors of the paper are deeeply indebted to the teaching skill of Michele and his utmost care. I wish moreover to acknowledge the patient and at the same time far-reaching activity of Michele in investigating and exploring the area of electromagnetic-field interaction with biological sys tems and in establishing scientific and personal relationships with researc hers in related fields and disciplines. Finally I would like to say that mo stly Michele was a friend.