Heat flow in an infinite medium heated by a sphere

Abstract

A solution is given of the heat conduction problem in which a sphere generating heat at a constant rate is embedded in an infinite medium of different thermal properties. The solution is of use in a consideration of the disinfestation and sterilization of biological materials by differential heating due to the application of h.f. fields. Typical curves are given showing the transient temperature at the centre of the sphere for various ratios of the physical constants involved.