Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series A Containing Papers of a Mathematical and Physical Character · 1923 · 18 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesMaterials SciencePhysicsCondensed Matter PhysicsMetallic MaterialsSolid State PhysicsCrystal LatticeCrystallographyHeat ConductionHeat Transfer In SolidsMetalsThermal Properties Of MaterialsCubic SystemHeat Conduction In SolidsInorganic CrystalsLattice Thermal ConductivityMetallic Crystal StructureThermal ConductivityThermal Conductivity Measurements
Abstract Interpretation of the thermal conductivities of metals yields an important test of the validity of any theory of the solid state. In applying the theory it is usually necessary to assume an ordered arrangement of the atoms on a space lattice. Now all the accurate measurements of thermal conductivity of metals have hitherto been made on bars which consist of a random arrangement of aggregations of small crystals possibly held together by inter-crystalline layers of unknown structure and indefinite extent. It seemed important to compare the results so obtained with the more fundamental values yielded from specimens consisting of a single crystal. Experiments have been carried out in the first instance on bismuth for the reasons that (a) it is comparatively easy to obtain large crystals, and (b) it is one of the few metals which does not crystallise in the cubic system. It was thought that any discrepancies between the results for the single crystal and those for the aggregate state would probably be more pronounced in such a case than if a cubic crystal were used.