The thermal conductivity of ice new data on the temperature coefficient

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.