DOI: 10.1615/ICHMT.2007.RadTransfProc
ISBN Print: 978-1-56700-243-0
ISSN Online: 2642-5629
ISSN Flash Drive: 2642-5661
NEAR-FIELD HEAT TRANSFER: A RADIATIVE INTERPRETATION OF THERMAL CONDUCTION
RÉSUMÉ
It is shown in this article that the near-field radiative heat transfer can be interpreted as a conduction heat transfer due to the propagation of polaritons. We consider two situations. In the first one, two heated bodies at different temperatures are separated by a gap and in the second one a temperature gradient is imposed to a bulk material. In both situations, the radiative heat transfer is calculated by means of fluctuational electrodynamics. Asymptotic expressions of a thermal conductivity are obtained from the radiative heat transfer calculation. We interpret this conductivity as a consequence of the heat transfer by propagation and collisions of polaritons.