Normal heat diffusion in many-body system via thermal photons

TL;DR

This paper develops a normal-diffusion theory for heat transfer via thermal photons in many-body systems, deriving the thermal conductivity tensor from fluctuational electrodynamics and revealing convection-like behavior in asymmetric systems.

Contribution

It introduces a rigorous derivation of thermal conductivity tensor from fluctuational electrodynamics and uncovers convection-like heat transfer in asymmetric particle systems.

Findings

Thermal conductivity tensor derived from fluctuational electrodynamics.

Revealed convection-like heat transfer in asymmetric systems.

Violation of Fourier's law in certain many-body systems.

Abstract

A normal-diffusion theory for heat transfer in many-body systems via carriers of thermal photons is developed. The thermal conductivity tensor is rigorously derived from fluctuational electrodynamics as a coefficient of diffusion term for the first time. In addition, a convection-like heat transfer behavior is revealed in systems of asymmetric distribution of particles, indicating violation of Fourier's law for such system. Considering the central role of thermal conductivity in heat transfer, this work paves a way for understanding, analysis and manipulation of heat transfer in nanoparticle system via thermal photons with many-body interactions.