Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Formulated a hundred years ago, the Bridgman formula for thermal conductivity of liquids postulates a proportionality between sound velocity and thermal conductivity and therefore appoints phonons as the main carriers of heat in a liquid. Its empirical success has been under-appreciated and its conceptual implications beyond the case of classical liquids has been overlooked. We review its origin, its links to hydrodynamic Euler equations and the fundamental paradox surrounding the parabolic heat equation and its fate across the quantum-classical crossover.
Author: Kamran Behnia
Institution: ESPCI Paris
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,325
OpenAlex ID: W7223382337