The Astrophysical Journal · 1957 · 191 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesAstronomyPhysicsAstrophysicsHeat TransferInterstellar MediumRadiation Transport In MatterRadiative EquilibriumRadiative Heat TransferRadiative ProcessesRadiative TransferThermal EvolutionDecay TimeRadiative Transfer ApproximationRadiative Transfer EffectsRadiative Transfer EquationsRadiative Transfer In The Interstellar MediumRadiative Transfer ModelingThermal FluctuationsTime-dependent Temperature Fields
A time-dependent equation for the temperature field of a medium with deviations from radiative equilibrium is derived. It is assumed that the medium is graylike and changes quasi-statically. Perturbations of small amplitude imposed on a homogeneous medium are shown to decay exponentially in time. The dependence of decay time on a characteristic length of the perturbation is found.