Physical meaning of potential in heat equation












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I'm working on the mathematical theory of parabolic equations. The prototype of such equations is heat equation given as follows :
Let $Omega$ be a bounded region of the space and $T>0$ a fixed time. In $Omega_T=(0,T)times Omega$ we consider the following equation
$$u_t =alphaDelta u -a(x)u,$$
$$u(0,x)=f(x),$$
where $f$ is the initial condition, $a$ a bounded potential, $alpha>0$ is a constant, and $Delta$ is the Laplacian. I'm wondering to know the physical meaning of the coefficient $a$ (and may be $alpha$) and it's role in the heat process? Any reference or suggestion would be helpful.










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$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Could you tell us where you're studying this from? Are there assumptions made about the form of the equations (i.e. small radiation losses, etc...)?
    $endgroup$
    – N. Steinle
    Jan 6 at 15:15












  • $begingroup$
    From a mathematical point of vue, we use this form in abstract way without precising the physical statement of the equation.
    $endgroup$
    – S. Cho
    Jan 6 at 16:16










  • $begingroup$
    Your title asks about a potential? What potential are you talking about?
    $endgroup$
    – Drew
    Jan 7 at 0:34










  • $begingroup$
    We call the coefficient $a$ a potential
    $endgroup$
    – S. Cho
    Jan 7 at 11:09
















10












$begingroup$


I'm working on the mathematical theory of parabolic equations. The prototype of such equations is heat equation given as follows :
Let $Omega$ be a bounded region of the space and $T>0$ a fixed time. In $Omega_T=(0,T)times Omega$ we consider the following equation
$$u_t =alphaDelta u -a(x)u,$$
$$u(0,x)=f(x),$$
where $f$ is the initial condition, $a$ a bounded potential, $alpha>0$ is a constant, and $Delta$ is the Laplacian. I'm wondering to know the physical meaning of the coefficient $a$ (and may be $alpha$) and it's role in the heat process? Any reference or suggestion would be helpful.










share|cite|improve this question











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Could you tell us where you're studying this from? Are there assumptions made about the form of the equations (i.e. small radiation losses, etc...)?
    $endgroup$
    – N. Steinle
    Jan 6 at 15:15












  • $begingroup$
    From a mathematical point of vue, we use this form in abstract way without precising the physical statement of the equation.
    $endgroup$
    – S. Cho
    Jan 6 at 16:16










  • $begingroup$
    Your title asks about a potential? What potential are you talking about?
    $endgroup$
    – Drew
    Jan 7 at 0:34










  • $begingroup$
    We call the coefficient $a$ a potential
    $endgroup$
    – S. Cho
    Jan 7 at 11:09














10












10








10





$begingroup$


I'm working on the mathematical theory of parabolic equations. The prototype of such equations is heat equation given as follows :
Let $Omega$ be a bounded region of the space and $T>0$ a fixed time. In $Omega_T=(0,T)times Omega$ we consider the following equation
$$u_t =alphaDelta u -a(x)u,$$
$$u(0,x)=f(x),$$
where $f$ is the initial condition, $a$ a bounded potential, $alpha>0$ is a constant, and $Delta$ is the Laplacian. I'm wondering to know the physical meaning of the coefficient $a$ (and may be $alpha$) and it's role in the heat process? Any reference or suggestion would be helpful.










share|cite|improve this question











$endgroup$




I'm working on the mathematical theory of parabolic equations. The prototype of such equations is heat equation given as follows :
Let $Omega$ be a bounded region of the space and $T>0$ a fixed time. In $Omega_T=(0,T)times Omega$ we consider the following equation
$$u_t =alphaDelta u -a(x)u,$$
$$u(0,x)=f(x),$$
where $f$ is the initial condition, $a$ a bounded potential, $alpha>0$ is a constant, and $Delta$ is the Laplacian. I'm wondering to know the physical meaning of the coefficient $a$ (and may be $alpha$) and it's role in the heat process? Any reference or suggestion would be helpful.







thermodynamics potential diffusion heat-conduction






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edited Jan 6 at 23:23









Qmechanic

103k121851177




103k121851177










asked Jan 6 at 12:57









S. ChoS. Cho

1536




1536












  • $begingroup$
    Could you tell us where you're studying this from? Are there assumptions made about the form of the equations (i.e. small radiation losses, etc...)?
    $endgroup$
    – N. Steinle
    Jan 6 at 15:15












  • $begingroup$
    From a mathematical point of vue, we use this form in abstract way without precising the physical statement of the equation.
    $endgroup$
    – S. Cho
    Jan 6 at 16:16










  • $begingroup$
    Your title asks about a potential? What potential are you talking about?
    $endgroup$
    – Drew
    Jan 7 at 0:34










  • $begingroup$
    We call the coefficient $a$ a potential
    $endgroup$
    – S. Cho
    Jan 7 at 11:09


















  • $begingroup$
    Could you tell us where you're studying this from? Are there assumptions made about the form of the equations (i.e. small radiation losses, etc...)?
    $endgroup$
    – N. Steinle
    Jan 6 at 15:15












  • $begingroup$
    From a mathematical point of vue, we use this form in abstract way without precising the physical statement of the equation.
    $endgroup$
    – S. Cho
    Jan 6 at 16:16










  • $begingroup$
    Your title asks about a potential? What potential are you talking about?
    $endgroup$
    – Drew
    Jan 7 at 0:34










  • $begingroup$
    We call the coefficient $a$ a potential
    $endgroup$
    – S. Cho
    Jan 7 at 11:09
















$begingroup$
Could you tell us where you're studying this from? Are there assumptions made about the form of the equations (i.e. small radiation losses, etc...)?
$endgroup$
– N. Steinle
Jan 6 at 15:15






$begingroup$
Could you tell us where you're studying this from? Are there assumptions made about the form of the equations (i.e. small radiation losses, etc...)?
$endgroup$
– N. Steinle
Jan 6 at 15:15














$begingroup$
From a mathematical point of vue, we use this form in abstract way without precising the physical statement of the equation.
$endgroup$
– S. Cho
Jan 6 at 16:16




$begingroup$
From a mathematical point of vue, we use this form in abstract way without precising the physical statement of the equation.
$endgroup$
– S. Cho
Jan 6 at 16:16












$begingroup$
Your title asks about a potential? What potential are you talking about?
$endgroup$
– Drew
Jan 7 at 0:34




$begingroup$
Your title asks about a potential? What potential are you talking about?
$endgroup$
– Drew
Jan 7 at 0:34












$begingroup$
We call the coefficient $a$ a potential
$endgroup$
– S. Cho
Jan 7 at 11:09




$begingroup$
We call the coefficient $a$ a potential
$endgroup$
– S. Cho
Jan 7 at 11:09










5 Answers
5






active

oldest

votes


















6












$begingroup$

As discussed here under "Incorporating lateral heat transfer" (disclaimer: my site), if you're considering a 1-D transient heat transfer problem as suggested by the variables $x$ and $t$, then the equation $$kDelta T(x,t)-h(x)T(x,t)=crhodot T(x,t)$$



represents axial conduction with thermal conductivity $k$, linear lateral heat dissipation (through conduction, convection, and/or slight radiation) with spatially dependent coefficient $h(x)$, and energy storage with specific heat capacity $c$ and density $rho$. $T(x,t)$ is the temperature excursion from some ambient value.



The qualification of "slight" radiation is to ensure linearity of $T(x,t)$ in that term. For convection, $h$ is simply a convection coefficient. As discussed in the link, $h$ might also represent lateral conduction to an adjacent temperature sink (for a suspended microfabricated beam, say).



If we change variables from $T(x,t)$ to $u$ and divide by $crho$, then we have



$$alpha Delta u-left(frac{h(x)}{crho}right)u=u_t,$$



with $alpha$ being the thermal diffusivity, which matches your equation and indicates that $a(x)$ corresponds to a spatially varying lateral heat coefficient divided by the specific heat capacity and the density. This is the physical interpretation of that parameter for this type of system (I solve the equation here).






share|cite|improve this answer









$endgroup$













  • $begingroup$
    Is it the same for the parameters appearing in the dynamic boundary conditions ? More precisely, if $Gamma=partial Omega$ is the boundary of the domain, the dynamic boundary conditions on $Gamma$ is $partial_t y_Gamma =beta Delta_Gamma y_Gamma +alpha partial_nu y -b(x) y_Gamma$, on $Gamma$. I mean the parameters $beta$ and $b$, ($alpha$ is the same as the first equation).
    $endgroup$
    – S. Cho
    Jan 7 at 11:28








  • 1




    $begingroup$
    What is $partial_nu$ in this case?
    $endgroup$
    – Chemomechanics
    Jan 7 at 19:16










  • $begingroup$
    $partial_nu y = nabla y cdot nu$ is the normal derivative of $y$ where $nu$ is the unit outer normal vector on $Gamma$.
    $endgroup$
    – S. Cho
    Jan 7 at 22:08






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    This would seem to correspond to conduction within the system with thermal diffusivity $beta$, lateral convective heat transfer to the environment as mediated by a coefficient $crho b(x)$, and lateral conductive heat transfer to the environment as mediated by a thermal conductivity $(-crhoalpha)$.
    $endgroup$
    – Chemomechanics
    Jan 8 at 18:31





















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The heat equation, as you've written it, models the flow of energy via thermal conduction (heat) through some region with well defined boundary conditions. You have yet to provide the specifics of the boundary region, so my answer will remain general and vague.



The $alpha$ is the "diffusion coefficient" which is the isotropic form (diagonal terms only) of the diffusion tensor - alas the heat equation is a special case of the diffusion equation. So this coefficient tells us about how thermally diffuse the material that composes the region is (how diffusely distributed is the matter that the heat flows through?).




the physical meaning of the coefficient $a$




Sorry, at first I misread the equation (I thought it was merely a forcing term at first). And then secondly I mistook it for a convective term, but that's not correct since a convective term is typically proportional to $frac{partial u}{partial x}$ (see equation 27 here). I have found that the term, $a(x)u$, could represent an approximative radiative term that is position dependent (for small radiative losses), i.e. see the last equation here. In which case, $a$ determines the strength of the radiation emitted from the conductor as a function of position. This radiation term is only meaningful for temperature variations in the rod that are small compared to the temperature of the surroundings, and in the case of larger fluctuations one must use a $u^4$ dependence instead (in accordance with Stefan-Boltzmann Law).



Here is a very nice write-up for non-homogeneous heat problems.






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$endgroup$









  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @S.Cho My pleasure! Which wiki article, specifically?
    $endgroup$
    – N. Steinle
    Jan 6 at 14:30








  • 1




    $begingroup$
    In a heat transfer problem like this, the term involving a(x) is not a sink. It represents the convective transport of heat by fluid flow in the x direction.
    $endgroup$
    – Chester Miller
    Jan 6 at 14:44






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @S.Cho That's very strange. Radiative losses are usually of the form $u^4$. Unless you make the approximation that u does not vary appreciably, then I guess one can use a linear approximation...
    $endgroup$
    – t t t t
    Jan 6 at 14:49






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Interesting. Indeed it's not a sink. I don't think it's a convective term, since convective terms are typically proportional to $u_{x}$. I suspect it is a weak radiation term as @tttt suggests
    $endgroup$
    – N. Steinle
    Jan 6 at 15:20






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Oops. You're right. I didn't notice that.
    $endgroup$
    – Chester Miller
    Jan 6 at 18:08



















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The proper physical name of your equation is diffusion equation with a source term. The equation can be rearranged to continuity equation - $u_t-alpha u_{xx} = Q$. For $Q=0$ the time dependent solution can be shown to have time independent norm, which is manifestation of local mass conservation law. Source term means that particles can be created and destroyed locally, according to $Q(x)$ variation.

Continuity equation is a restatement of Gauss law - at given infinitesimal volume, the change in the number of particles in the volume is exactly equal to the number of particles crossed the surface of it in/out of this volume.
You may gain some physical intuition exploring compressible aspect of the Navier-Stockes equation. The compressability is exactly the violation of continuity equation.



Closed form solution is given here. This wierd document seems related, however didn't find any peer reviewed articles.






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    0












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    In the study of the thermal transfer within a heat sink, we have a term of the form a * (T-Text) which correspond to the conducto convective exchanges between the heat sink and the air surrounding it: it is proportional to the temperature difference in accordance with Newton's law. The first term, in alpha, corresponds to the thermal conduction within the material. The thermal current density is proportional to the first spatial derivative of the temperature and the variation of this density leads to the second derivative (Laplacian). The alpha in the équation is the thermal diffusivity (conductivity/mu*C)






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    $endgroup$





















      0












      $begingroup$

      The equation describes the flow of heat in presence of sources or sinks. The first term on the right hand side is the normal diffusion term. The second term can be thought of as a source or sink term. For more details see: https://www.math.ubc.ca/~peirce/M257_316_2012_Lecture_19.pdf






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        5 Answers
        5






        active

        oldest

        votes








        5 Answers
        5






        active

        oldest

        votes









        active

        oldest

        votes






        active

        oldest

        votes









        6












        $begingroup$

        As discussed here under "Incorporating lateral heat transfer" (disclaimer: my site), if you're considering a 1-D transient heat transfer problem as suggested by the variables $x$ and $t$, then the equation $$kDelta T(x,t)-h(x)T(x,t)=crhodot T(x,t)$$



        represents axial conduction with thermal conductivity $k$, linear lateral heat dissipation (through conduction, convection, and/or slight radiation) with spatially dependent coefficient $h(x)$, and energy storage with specific heat capacity $c$ and density $rho$. $T(x,t)$ is the temperature excursion from some ambient value.



        The qualification of "slight" radiation is to ensure linearity of $T(x,t)$ in that term. For convection, $h$ is simply a convection coefficient. As discussed in the link, $h$ might also represent lateral conduction to an adjacent temperature sink (for a suspended microfabricated beam, say).



        If we change variables from $T(x,t)$ to $u$ and divide by $crho$, then we have



        $$alpha Delta u-left(frac{h(x)}{crho}right)u=u_t,$$



        with $alpha$ being the thermal diffusivity, which matches your equation and indicates that $a(x)$ corresponds to a spatially varying lateral heat coefficient divided by the specific heat capacity and the density. This is the physical interpretation of that parameter for this type of system (I solve the equation here).






        share|cite|improve this answer









        $endgroup$













        • $begingroup$
          Is it the same for the parameters appearing in the dynamic boundary conditions ? More precisely, if $Gamma=partial Omega$ is the boundary of the domain, the dynamic boundary conditions on $Gamma$ is $partial_t y_Gamma =beta Delta_Gamma y_Gamma +alpha partial_nu y -b(x) y_Gamma$, on $Gamma$. I mean the parameters $beta$ and $b$, ($alpha$ is the same as the first equation).
          $endgroup$
          – S. Cho
          Jan 7 at 11:28








        • 1




          $begingroup$
          What is $partial_nu$ in this case?
          $endgroup$
          – Chemomechanics
          Jan 7 at 19:16










        • $begingroup$
          $partial_nu y = nabla y cdot nu$ is the normal derivative of $y$ where $nu$ is the unit outer normal vector on $Gamma$.
          $endgroup$
          – S. Cho
          Jan 7 at 22:08






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          This would seem to correspond to conduction within the system with thermal diffusivity $beta$, lateral convective heat transfer to the environment as mediated by a coefficient $crho b(x)$, and lateral conductive heat transfer to the environment as mediated by a thermal conductivity $(-crhoalpha)$.
          $endgroup$
          – Chemomechanics
          Jan 8 at 18:31


















        6












        $begingroup$

        As discussed here under "Incorporating lateral heat transfer" (disclaimer: my site), if you're considering a 1-D transient heat transfer problem as suggested by the variables $x$ and $t$, then the equation $$kDelta T(x,t)-h(x)T(x,t)=crhodot T(x,t)$$



        represents axial conduction with thermal conductivity $k$, linear lateral heat dissipation (through conduction, convection, and/or slight radiation) with spatially dependent coefficient $h(x)$, and energy storage with specific heat capacity $c$ and density $rho$. $T(x,t)$ is the temperature excursion from some ambient value.



        The qualification of "slight" radiation is to ensure linearity of $T(x,t)$ in that term. For convection, $h$ is simply a convection coefficient. As discussed in the link, $h$ might also represent lateral conduction to an adjacent temperature sink (for a suspended microfabricated beam, say).



        If we change variables from $T(x,t)$ to $u$ and divide by $crho$, then we have



        $$alpha Delta u-left(frac{h(x)}{crho}right)u=u_t,$$



        with $alpha$ being the thermal diffusivity, which matches your equation and indicates that $a(x)$ corresponds to a spatially varying lateral heat coefficient divided by the specific heat capacity and the density. This is the physical interpretation of that parameter for this type of system (I solve the equation here).






        share|cite|improve this answer









        $endgroup$













        • $begingroup$
          Is it the same for the parameters appearing in the dynamic boundary conditions ? More precisely, if $Gamma=partial Omega$ is the boundary of the domain, the dynamic boundary conditions on $Gamma$ is $partial_t y_Gamma =beta Delta_Gamma y_Gamma +alpha partial_nu y -b(x) y_Gamma$, on $Gamma$. I mean the parameters $beta$ and $b$, ($alpha$ is the same as the first equation).
          $endgroup$
          – S. Cho
          Jan 7 at 11:28








        • 1




          $begingroup$
          What is $partial_nu$ in this case?
          $endgroup$
          – Chemomechanics
          Jan 7 at 19:16










        • $begingroup$
          $partial_nu y = nabla y cdot nu$ is the normal derivative of $y$ where $nu$ is the unit outer normal vector on $Gamma$.
          $endgroup$
          – S. Cho
          Jan 7 at 22:08






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          This would seem to correspond to conduction within the system with thermal diffusivity $beta$, lateral convective heat transfer to the environment as mediated by a coefficient $crho b(x)$, and lateral conductive heat transfer to the environment as mediated by a thermal conductivity $(-crhoalpha)$.
          $endgroup$
          – Chemomechanics
          Jan 8 at 18:31
















        6












        6








        6





        $begingroup$

        As discussed here under "Incorporating lateral heat transfer" (disclaimer: my site), if you're considering a 1-D transient heat transfer problem as suggested by the variables $x$ and $t$, then the equation $$kDelta T(x,t)-h(x)T(x,t)=crhodot T(x,t)$$



        represents axial conduction with thermal conductivity $k$, linear lateral heat dissipation (through conduction, convection, and/or slight radiation) with spatially dependent coefficient $h(x)$, and energy storage with specific heat capacity $c$ and density $rho$. $T(x,t)$ is the temperature excursion from some ambient value.



        The qualification of "slight" radiation is to ensure linearity of $T(x,t)$ in that term. For convection, $h$ is simply a convection coefficient. As discussed in the link, $h$ might also represent lateral conduction to an adjacent temperature sink (for a suspended microfabricated beam, say).



        If we change variables from $T(x,t)$ to $u$ and divide by $crho$, then we have



        $$alpha Delta u-left(frac{h(x)}{crho}right)u=u_t,$$



        with $alpha$ being the thermal diffusivity, which matches your equation and indicates that $a(x)$ corresponds to a spatially varying lateral heat coefficient divided by the specific heat capacity and the density. This is the physical interpretation of that parameter for this type of system (I solve the equation here).






        share|cite|improve this answer









        $endgroup$



        As discussed here under "Incorporating lateral heat transfer" (disclaimer: my site), if you're considering a 1-D transient heat transfer problem as suggested by the variables $x$ and $t$, then the equation $$kDelta T(x,t)-h(x)T(x,t)=crhodot T(x,t)$$



        represents axial conduction with thermal conductivity $k$, linear lateral heat dissipation (through conduction, convection, and/or slight radiation) with spatially dependent coefficient $h(x)$, and energy storage with specific heat capacity $c$ and density $rho$. $T(x,t)$ is the temperature excursion from some ambient value.



        The qualification of "slight" radiation is to ensure linearity of $T(x,t)$ in that term. For convection, $h$ is simply a convection coefficient. As discussed in the link, $h$ might also represent lateral conduction to an adjacent temperature sink (for a suspended microfabricated beam, say).



        If we change variables from $T(x,t)$ to $u$ and divide by $crho$, then we have



        $$alpha Delta u-left(frac{h(x)}{crho}right)u=u_t,$$



        with $alpha$ being the thermal diffusivity, which matches your equation and indicates that $a(x)$ corresponds to a spatially varying lateral heat coefficient divided by the specific heat capacity and the density. This is the physical interpretation of that parameter for this type of system (I solve the equation here).







        share|cite|improve this answer












        share|cite|improve this answer



        share|cite|improve this answer










        answered Jan 6 at 16:34









        ChemomechanicsChemomechanics

        4,77131023




        4,77131023












        • $begingroup$
          Is it the same for the parameters appearing in the dynamic boundary conditions ? More precisely, if $Gamma=partial Omega$ is the boundary of the domain, the dynamic boundary conditions on $Gamma$ is $partial_t y_Gamma =beta Delta_Gamma y_Gamma +alpha partial_nu y -b(x) y_Gamma$, on $Gamma$. I mean the parameters $beta$ and $b$, ($alpha$ is the same as the first equation).
          $endgroup$
          – S. Cho
          Jan 7 at 11:28








        • 1




          $begingroup$
          What is $partial_nu$ in this case?
          $endgroup$
          – Chemomechanics
          Jan 7 at 19:16










        • $begingroup$
          $partial_nu y = nabla y cdot nu$ is the normal derivative of $y$ where $nu$ is the unit outer normal vector on $Gamma$.
          $endgroup$
          – S. Cho
          Jan 7 at 22:08






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          This would seem to correspond to conduction within the system with thermal diffusivity $beta$, lateral convective heat transfer to the environment as mediated by a coefficient $crho b(x)$, and lateral conductive heat transfer to the environment as mediated by a thermal conductivity $(-crhoalpha)$.
          $endgroup$
          – Chemomechanics
          Jan 8 at 18:31




















        • $begingroup$
          Is it the same for the parameters appearing in the dynamic boundary conditions ? More precisely, if $Gamma=partial Omega$ is the boundary of the domain, the dynamic boundary conditions on $Gamma$ is $partial_t y_Gamma =beta Delta_Gamma y_Gamma +alpha partial_nu y -b(x) y_Gamma$, on $Gamma$. I mean the parameters $beta$ and $b$, ($alpha$ is the same as the first equation).
          $endgroup$
          – S. Cho
          Jan 7 at 11:28








        • 1




          $begingroup$
          What is $partial_nu$ in this case?
          $endgroup$
          – Chemomechanics
          Jan 7 at 19:16










        • $begingroup$
          $partial_nu y = nabla y cdot nu$ is the normal derivative of $y$ where $nu$ is the unit outer normal vector on $Gamma$.
          $endgroup$
          – S. Cho
          Jan 7 at 22:08






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          This would seem to correspond to conduction within the system with thermal diffusivity $beta$, lateral convective heat transfer to the environment as mediated by a coefficient $crho b(x)$, and lateral conductive heat transfer to the environment as mediated by a thermal conductivity $(-crhoalpha)$.
          $endgroup$
          – Chemomechanics
          Jan 8 at 18:31


















        $begingroup$
        Is it the same for the parameters appearing in the dynamic boundary conditions ? More precisely, if $Gamma=partial Omega$ is the boundary of the domain, the dynamic boundary conditions on $Gamma$ is $partial_t y_Gamma =beta Delta_Gamma y_Gamma +alpha partial_nu y -b(x) y_Gamma$, on $Gamma$. I mean the parameters $beta$ and $b$, ($alpha$ is the same as the first equation).
        $endgroup$
        – S. Cho
        Jan 7 at 11:28






        $begingroup$
        Is it the same for the parameters appearing in the dynamic boundary conditions ? More precisely, if $Gamma=partial Omega$ is the boundary of the domain, the dynamic boundary conditions on $Gamma$ is $partial_t y_Gamma =beta Delta_Gamma y_Gamma +alpha partial_nu y -b(x) y_Gamma$, on $Gamma$. I mean the parameters $beta$ and $b$, ($alpha$ is the same as the first equation).
        $endgroup$
        – S. Cho
        Jan 7 at 11:28






        1




        1




        $begingroup$
        What is $partial_nu$ in this case?
        $endgroup$
        – Chemomechanics
        Jan 7 at 19:16




        $begingroup$
        What is $partial_nu$ in this case?
        $endgroup$
        – Chemomechanics
        Jan 7 at 19:16












        $begingroup$
        $partial_nu y = nabla y cdot nu$ is the normal derivative of $y$ where $nu$ is the unit outer normal vector on $Gamma$.
        $endgroup$
        – S. Cho
        Jan 7 at 22:08




        $begingroup$
        $partial_nu y = nabla y cdot nu$ is the normal derivative of $y$ where $nu$ is the unit outer normal vector on $Gamma$.
        $endgroup$
        – S. Cho
        Jan 7 at 22:08




        1




        1




        $begingroup$
        This would seem to correspond to conduction within the system with thermal diffusivity $beta$, lateral convective heat transfer to the environment as mediated by a coefficient $crho b(x)$, and lateral conductive heat transfer to the environment as mediated by a thermal conductivity $(-crhoalpha)$.
        $endgroup$
        – Chemomechanics
        Jan 8 at 18:31






        $begingroup$
        This would seem to correspond to conduction within the system with thermal diffusivity $beta$, lateral convective heat transfer to the environment as mediated by a coefficient $crho b(x)$, and lateral conductive heat transfer to the environment as mediated by a thermal conductivity $(-crhoalpha)$.
        $endgroup$
        – Chemomechanics
        Jan 8 at 18:31













        8












        $begingroup$

        The heat equation, as you've written it, models the flow of energy via thermal conduction (heat) through some region with well defined boundary conditions. You have yet to provide the specifics of the boundary region, so my answer will remain general and vague.



        The $alpha$ is the "diffusion coefficient" which is the isotropic form (diagonal terms only) of the diffusion tensor - alas the heat equation is a special case of the diffusion equation. So this coefficient tells us about how thermally diffuse the material that composes the region is (how diffusely distributed is the matter that the heat flows through?).




        the physical meaning of the coefficient $a$




        Sorry, at first I misread the equation (I thought it was merely a forcing term at first). And then secondly I mistook it for a convective term, but that's not correct since a convective term is typically proportional to $frac{partial u}{partial x}$ (see equation 27 here). I have found that the term, $a(x)u$, could represent an approximative radiative term that is position dependent (for small radiative losses), i.e. see the last equation here. In which case, $a$ determines the strength of the radiation emitted from the conductor as a function of position. This radiation term is only meaningful for temperature variations in the rod that are small compared to the temperature of the surroundings, and in the case of larger fluctuations one must use a $u^4$ dependence instead (in accordance with Stefan-Boltzmann Law).



        Here is a very nice write-up for non-homogeneous heat problems.






        share|cite|improve this answer











        $endgroup$









        • 1




          $begingroup$
          @S.Cho My pleasure! Which wiki article, specifically?
          $endgroup$
          – N. Steinle
          Jan 6 at 14:30








        • 1




          $begingroup$
          In a heat transfer problem like this, the term involving a(x) is not a sink. It represents the convective transport of heat by fluid flow in the x direction.
          $endgroup$
          – Chester Miller
          Jan 6 at 14:44






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          @S.Cho That's very strange. Radiative losses are usually of the form $u^4$. Unless you make the approximation that u does not vary appreciably, then I guess one can use a linear approximation...
          $endgroup$
          – t t t t
          Jan 6 at 14:49






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          Interesting. Indeed it's not a sink. I don't think it's a convective term, since convective terms are typically proportional to $u_{x}$. I suspect it is a weak radiation term as @tttt suggests
          $endgroup$
          – N. Steinle
          Jan 6 at 15:20






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          Oops. You're right. I didn't notice that.
          $endgroup$
          – Chester Miller
          Jan 6 at 18:08
















        8












        $begingroup$

        The heat equation, as you've written it, models the flow of energy via thermal conduction (heat) through some region with well defined boundary conditions. You have yet to provide the specifics of the boundary region, so my answer will remain general and vague.



        The $alpha$ is the "diffusion coefficient" which is the isotropic form (diagonal terms only) of the diffusion tensor - alas the heat equation is a special case of the diffusion equation. So this coefficient tells us about how thermally diffuse the material that composes the region is (how diffusely distributed is the matter that the heat flows through?).




        the physical meaning of the coefficient $a$




        Sorry, at first I misread the equation (I thought it was merely a forcing term at first). And then secondly I mistook it for a convective term, but that's not correct since a convective term is typically proportional to $frac{partial u}{partial x}$ (see equation 27 here). I have found that the term, $a(x)u$, could represent an approximative radiative term that is position dependent (for small radiative losses), i.e. see the last equation here. In which case, $a$ determines the strength of the radiation emitted from the conductor as a function of position. This radiation term is only meaningful for temperature variations in the rod that are small compared to the temperature of the surroundings, and in the case of larger fluctuations one must use a $u^4$ dependence instead (in accordance with Stefan-Boltzmann Law).



        Here is a very nice write-up for non-homogeneous heat problems.






        share|cite|improve this answer











        $endgroup$









        • 1




          $begingroup$
          @S.Cho My pleasure! Which wiki article, specifically?
          $endgroup$
          – N. Steinle
          Jan 6 at 14:30








        • 1




          $begingroup$
          In a heat transfer problem like this, the term involving a(x) is not a sink. It represents the convective transport of heat by fluid flow in the x direction.
          $endgroup$
          – Chester Miller
          Jan 6 at 14:44






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          @S.Cho That's very strange. Radiative losses are usually of the form $u^4$. Unless you make the approximation that u does not vary appreciably, then I guess one can use a linear approximation...
          $endgroup$
          – t t t t
          Jan 6 at 14:49






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          Interesting. Indeed it's not a sink. I don't think it's a convective term, since convective terms are typically proportional to $u_{x}$. I suspect it is a weak radiation term as @tttt suggests
          $endgroup$
          – N. Steinle
          Jan 6 at 15:20






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          Oops. You're right. I didn't notice that.
          $endgroup$
          – Chester Miller
          Jan 6 at 18:08














        8












        8








        8





        $begingroup$

        The heat equation, as you've written it, models the flow of energy via thermal conduction (heat) through some region with well defined boundary conditions. You have yet to provide the specifics of the boundary region, so my answer will remain general and vague.



        The $alpha$ is the "diffusion coefficient" which is the isotropic form (diagonal terms only) of the diffusion tensor - alas the heat equation is a special case of the diffusion equation. So this coefficient tells us about how thermally diffuse the material that composes the region is (how diffusely distributed is the matter that the heat flows through?).




        the physical meaning of the coefficient $a$




        Sorry, at first I misread the equation (I thought it was merely a forcing term at first). And then secondly I mistook it for a convective term, but that's not correct since a convective term is typically proportional to $frac{partial u}{partial x}$ (see equation 27 here). I have found that the term, $a(x)u$, could represent an approximative radiative term that is position dependent (for small radiative losses), i.e. see the last equation here. In which case, $a$ determines the strength of the radiation emitted from the conductor as a function of position. This radiation term is only meaningful for temperature variations in the rod that are small compared to the temperature of the surroundings, and in the case of larger fluctuations one must use a $u^4$ dependence instead (in accordance with Stefan-Boltzmann Law).



        Here is a very nice write-up for non-homogeneous heat problems.






        share|cite|improve this answer











        $endgroup$



        The heat equation, as you've written it, models the flow of energy via thermal conduction (heat) through some region with well defined boundary conditions. You have yet to provide the specifics of the boundary region, so my answer will remain general and vague.



        The $alpha$ is the "diffusion coefficient" which is the isotropic form (diagonal terms only) of the diffusion tensor - alas the heat equation is a special case of the diffusion equation. So this coefficient tells us about how thermally diffuse the material that composes the region is (how diffusely distributed is the matter that the heat flows through?).




        the physical meaning of the coefficient $a$




        Sorry, at first I misread the equation (I thought it was merely a forcing term at first). And then secondly I mistook it for a convective term, but that's not correct since a convective term is typically proportional to $frac{partial u}{partial x}$ (see equation 27 here). I have found that the term, $a(x)u$, could represent an approximative radiative term that is position dependent (for small radiative losses), i.e. see the last equation here. In which case, $a$ determines the strength of the radiation emitted from the conductor as a function of position. This radiation term is only meaningful for temperature variations in the rod that are small compared to the temperature of the surroundings, and in the case of larger fluctuations one must use a $u^4$ dependence instead (in accordance with Stefan-Boltzmann Law).



        Here is a very nice write-up for non-homogeneous heat problems.







        share|cite|improve this answer














        share|cite|improve this answer



        share|cite|improve this answer








        edited Jan 7 at 18:17

























        answered Jan 6 at 13:24









        N. SteinleN. Steinle

        1,528117




        1,528117








        • 1




          $begingroup$
          @S.Cho My pleasure! Which wiki article, specifically?
          $endgroup$
          – N. Steinle
          Jan 6 at 14:30








        • 1




          $begingroup$
          In a heat transfer problem like this, the term involving a(x) is not a sink. It represents the convective transport of heat by fluid flow in the x direction.
          $endgroup$
          – Chester Miller
          Jan 6 at 14:44






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          @S.Cho That's very strange. Radiative losses are usually of the form $u^4$. Unless you make the approximation that u does not vary appreciably, then I guess one can use a linear approximation...
          $endgroup$
          – t t t t
          Jan 6 at 14:49






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          Interesting. Indeed it's not a sink. I don't think it's a convective term, since convective terms are typically proportional to $u_{x}$. I suspect it is a weak radiation term as @tttt suggests
          $endgroup$
          – N. Steinle
          Jan 6 at 15:20






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          Oops. You're right. I didn't notice that.
          $endgroup$
          – Chester Miller
          Jan 6 at 18:08














        • 1




          $begingroup$
          @S.Cho My pleasure! Which wiki article, specifically?
          $endgroup$
          – N. Steinle
          Jan 6 at 14:30








        • 1




          $begingroup$
          In a heat transfer problem like this, the term involving a(x) is not a sink. It represents the convective transport of heat by fluid flow in the x direction.
          $endgroup$
          – Chester Miller
          Jan 6 at 14:44






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          @S.Cho That's very strange. Radiative losses are usually of the form $u^4$. Unless you make the approximation that u does not vary appreciably, then I guess one can use a linear approximation...
          $endgroup$
          – t t t t
          Jan 6 at 14:49






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          Interesting. Indeed it's not a sink. I don't think it's a convective term, since convective terms are typically proportional to $u_{x}$. I suspect it is a weak radiation term as @tttt suggests
          $endgroup$
          – N. Steinle
          Jan 6 at 15:20






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          Oops. You're right. I didn't notice that.
          $endgroup$
          – Chester Miller
          Jan 6 at 18:08








        1




        1




        $begingroup$
        @S.Cho My pleasure! Which wiki article, specifically?
        $endgroup$
        – N. Steinle
        Jan 6 at 14:30






        $begingroup$
        @S.Cho My pleasure! Which wiki article, specifically?
        $endgroup$
        – N. Steinle
        Jan 6 at 14:30






        1




        1




        $begingroup$
        In a heat transfer problem like this, the term involving a(x) is not a sink. It represents the convective transport of heat by fluid flow in the x direction.
        $endgroup$
        – Chester Miller
        Jan 6 at 14:44




        $begingroup$
        In a heat transfer problem like this, the term involving a(x) is not a sink. It represents the convective transport of heat by fluid flow in the x direction.
        $endgroup$
        – Chester Miller
        Jan 6 at 14:44




        1




        1




        $begingroup$
        @S.Cho That's very strange. Radiative losses are usually of the form $u^4$. Unless you make the approximation that u does not vary appreciably, then I guess one can use a linear approximation...
        $endgroup$
        – t t t t
        Jan 6 at 14:49




        $begingroup$
        @S.Cho That's very strange. Radiative losses are usually of the form $u^4$. Unless you make the approximation that u does not vary appreciably, then I guess one can use a linear approximation...
        $endgroup$
        – t t t t
        Jan 6 at 14:49




        1




        1




        $begingroup$
        Interesting. Indeed it's not a sink. I don't think it's a convective term, since convective terms are typically proportional to $u_{x}$. I suspect it is a weak radiation term as @tttt suggests
        $endgroup$
        – N. Steinle
        Jan 6 at 15:20




        $begingroup$
        Interesting. Indeed it's not a sink. I don't think it's a convective term, since convective terms are typically proportional to $u_{x}$. I suspect it is a weak radiation term as @tttt suggests
        $endgroup$
        – N. Steinle
        Jan 6 at 15:20




        1




        1




        $begingroup$
        Oops. You're right. I didn't notice that.
        $endgroup$
        – Chester Miller
        Jan 6 at 18:08




        $begingroup$
        Oops. You're right. I didn't notice that.
        $endgroup$
        – Chester Miller
        Jan 6 at 18:08











        2












        $begingroup$

        The proper physical name of your equation is diffusion equation with a source term. The equation can be rearranged to continuity equation - $u_t-alpha u_{xx} = Q$. For $Q=0$ the time dependent solution can be shown to have time independent norm, which is manifestation of local mass conservation law. Source term means that particles can be created and destroyed locally, according to $Q(x)$ variation.

        Continuity equation is a restatement of Gauss law - at given infinitesimal volume, the change in the number of particles in the volume is exactly equal to the number of particles crossed the surface of it in/out of this volume.
        You may gain some physical intuition exploring compressible aspect of the Navier-Stockes equation. The compressability is exactly the violation of continuity equation.



        Closed form solution is given here. This wierd document seems related, however didn't find any peer reviewed articles.






        share|cite|improve this answer









        $endgroup$


















          2












          $begingroup$

          The proper physical name of your equation is diffusion equation with a source term. The equation can be rearranged to continuity equation - $u_t-alpha u_{xx} = Q$. For $Q=0$ the time dependent solution can be shown to have time independent norm, which is manifestation of local mass conservation law. Source term means that particles can be created and destroyed locally, according to $Q(x)$ variation.

          Continuity equation is a restatement of Gauss law - at given infinitesimal volume, the change in the number of particles in the volume is exactly equal to the number of particles crossed the surface of it in/out of this volume.
          You may gain some physical intuition exploring compressible aspect of the Navier-Stockes equation. The compressability is exactly the violation of continuity equation.



          Closed form solution is given here. This wierd document seems related, however didn't find any peer reviewed articles.






          share|cite|improve this answer









          $endgroup$
















            2












            2








            2





            $begingroup$

            The proper physical name of your equation is diffusion equation with a source term. The equation can be rearranged to continuity equation - $u_t-alpha u_{xx} = Q$. For $Q=0$ the time dependent solution can be shown to have time independent norm, which is manifestation of local mass conservation law. Source term means that particles can be created and destroyed locally, according to $Q(x)$ variation.

            Continuity equation is a restatement of Gauss law - at given infinitesimal volume, the change in the number of particles in the volume is exactly equal to the number of particles crossed the surface of it in/out of this volume.
            You may gain some physical intuition exploring compressible aspect of the Navier-Stockes equation. The compressability is exactly the violation of continuity equation.



            Closed form solution is given here. This wierd document seems related, however didn't find any peer reviewed articles.






            share|cite|improve this answer









            $endgroup$



            The proper physical name of your equation is diffusion equation with a source term. The equation can be rearranged to continuity equation - $u_t-alpha u_{xx} = Q$. For $Q=0$ the time dependent solution can be shown to have time independent norm, which is manifestation of local mass conservation law. Source term means that particles can be created and destroyed locally, according to $Q(x)$ variation.

            Continuity equation is a restatement of Gauss law - at given infinitesimal volume, the change in the number of particles in the volume is exactly equal to the number of particles crossed the surface of it in/out of this volume.
            You may gain some physical intuition exploring compressible aspect of the Navier-Stockes equation. The compressability is exactly the violation of continuity equation.



            Closed form solution is given here. This wierd document seems related, however didn't find any peer reviewed articles.







            share|cite|improve this answer












            share|cite|improve this answer



            share|cite|improve this answer










            answered Jan 9 at 6:36









            AlexanderAlexander

            1,058724




            1,058724























                0












                $begingroup$

                In the study of the thermal transfer within a heat sink, we have a term of the form a * (T-Text) which correspond to the conducto convective exchanges between the heat sink and the air surrounding it: it is proportional to the temperature difference in accordance with Newton's law. The first term, in alpha, corresponds to the thermal conduction within the material. The thermal current density is proportional to the first spatial derivative of the temperature and the variation of this density leads to the second derivative (Laplacian). The alpha in the équation is the thermal diffusivity (conductivity/mu*C)






                share|cite|improve this answer











                $endgroup$


















                  0












                  $begingroup$

                  In the study of the thermal transfer within a heat sink, we have a term of the form a * (T-Text) which correspond to the conducto convective exchanges between the heat sink and the air surrounding it: it is proportional to the temperature difference in accordance with Newton's law. The first term, in alpha, corresponds to the thermal conduction within the material. The thermal current density is proportional to the first spatial derivative of the temperature and the variation of this density leads to the second derivative (Laplacian). The alpha in the équation is the thermal diffusivity (conductivity/mu*C)






                  share|cite|improve this answer











                  $endgroup$
















                    0












                    0








                    0





                    $begingroup$

                    In the study of the thermal transfer within a heat sink, we have a term of the form a * (T-Text) which correspond to the conducto convective exchanges between the heat sink and the air surrounding it: it is proportional to the temperature difference in accordance with Newton's law. The first term, in alpha, corresponds to the thermal conduction within the material. The thermal current density is proportional to the first spatial derivative of the temperature and the variation of this density leads to the second derivative (Laplacian). The alpha in the équation is the thermal diffusivity (conductivity/mu*C)






                    share|cite|improve this answer











                    $endgroup$



                    In the study of the thermal transfer within a heat sink, we have a term of the form a * (T-Text) which correspond to the conducto convective exchanges between the heat sink and the air surrounding it: it is proportional to the temperature difference in accordance with Newton's law. The first term, in alpha, corresponds to the thermal conduction within the material. The thermal current density is proportional to the first spatial derivative of the temperature and the variation of this density leads to the second derivative (Laplacian). The alpha in the équation is the thermal diffusivity (conductivity/mu*C)







                    share|cite|improve this answer














                    share|cite|improve this answer



                    share|cite|improve this answer








                    edited Jan 6 at 13:19

























                    answered Jan 6 at 13:13









                    Vincent FraticelliVincent Fraticelli

                    5004




                    5004























                        0












                        $begingroup$

                        The equation describes the flow of heat in presence of sources or sinks. The first term on the right hand side is the normal diffusion term. The second term can be thought of as a source or sink term. For more details see: https://www.math.ubc.ca/~peirce/M257_316_2012_Lecture_19.pdf






                        share|cite|improve this answer









                        $endgroup$


















                          0












                          $begingroup$

                          The equation describes the flow of heat in presence of sources or sinks. The first term on the right hand side is the normal diffusion term. The second term can be thought of as a source or sink term. For more details see: https://www.math.ubc.ca/~peirce/M257_316_2012_Lecture_19.pdf






                          share|cite|improve this answer









                          $endgroup$
















                            0












                            0








                            0





                            $begingroup$

                            The equation describes the flow of heat in presence of sources or sinks. The first term on the right hand side is the normal diffusion term. The second term can be thought of as a source or sink term. For more details see: https://www.math.ubc.ca/~peirce/M257_316_2012_Lecture_19.pdf






                            share|cite|improve this answer









                            $endgroup$



                            The equation describes the flow of heat in presence of sources or sinks. The first term on the right hand side is the normal diffusion term. The second term can be thought of as a source or sink term. For more details see: https://www.math.ubc.ca/~peirce/M257_316_2012_Lecture_19.pdf







                            share|cite|improve this answer












                            share|cite|improve this answer



                            share|cite|improve this answer










                            answered Jan 8 at 5:47









                            noisyoscillatornoisyoscillator

                            318




                            318






























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