The thermal conductivity of ice new data on the temperature coefficient

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The thermal conductivity of ice in the form of cylindrical specimens has been measured by a steady-state method, the temperature gradients being measured by thermocouples in drill-holes in the ice. The temperature range covered is from 0°C to −180°C, and the results are compared with those of previous observers. Using the most probable values given, there is a linear relationship within 1 or 2% between the thermal conductivity of ice and the reciprocal of the absolute temperature, down to about 120°K. A quadratic equation is proposed, giving the thermal conductivity as a function of temperature. Lees' work in 1905 is shown to be unsubstantiated, his values being lower than the present ones by about a factor of two, although the possibility of anisotropy at low temperatures is still to be considered.