Further measurements relating to the anisotropic thermal conductivity of gallium

Abstract

Thermal conductivity determinations made over the temperature range 83° K to 293° K for three single crystal samples of the orthorhombic metal gallium having axes approximately in the crystallographic c, a and b axial directions confirm preliminary values previously obtained at about 273° K for the same samples. A method of analysis proposed by Bäcklund is used to derive the electronic λ_e and lattice λ_g components of thermal conductivity. λ_e is independent of temperature and values for the c, a and b axial directions are in the ratio of 1: 3: 6.6. Corresponding values of the electrical conductivity are in the ratio 1: 3.4: 7 at 83° K and 1: 3.1: 6.7 at 293° K. The ratio for λ_g is 1: 1.9: 2.5 at 83° K and 1: 1: 2 at 293° K.