ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the rectal temperature ‘nomogram method’ for determining the time of death, which was developed for practical use at the scene of death. It provides a time range immediately at the scene, and it may considerably assist criminal investigations at their earliest stage. The chapter examines basic physical considerations, including mathematically modelling body cooling by two exponential equations and verifying them on experimental body and dummy cooling under various controlled conditions. The actual mechanisms of heat exchange between body and surroundings depend on the individual circumstances at the scene and therefore cannot be stated in generally valid terms for any cooling conditions. Three main mechanisms are considered for body cooling: conduction, convection and radiation. For real case validation of the finite element model, cooling experiments were conducted in the Munich Institute of Legal Medicine by Gita Mall and Inga Sinicina in the years 2003 to 2007.
