crosis Posted March 5, 2002 #1 Share Posted March 5, 2002 Ananova : Material could conduct heat in just one direction Physicists believe they have worked out a design for a material which conducts heat travelling in one direction but insulates in another. In theory, the 'heat valve' could keep one part of an electronic circuit cool and another warm. It is being developed in Italy from a one-dimensional solid design for chain-linked atoms. If a chain can be built from atoms which vibrate at different frequencies, the team believe it would conduct and insulate depending on the direction the heat is travelling. When atoms are joined together in molecules, they vibrate and the larger the vibrations, the hotter the material. Marcello Terraneo, of Insubria University in Como, says DNA strands might be a suitable material if strung together properly. The study is published in Physical Review Letters and reported in Nature. Story filed: 10:21 Tuesday 5th March 2002 :sq Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crosis Posted March 5, 2002 Author #2 Share Posted March 5, 2002 Here's the link for the report in nature. http://www.nature.com/nsu/020304/020304-2.html :sq Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleStuart Posted March 20, 2002 #3 Share Posted March 20, 2002 The possibilities for that sort of thing are endless - CPUs in computers for a start, fire retardant clothing, fridges etc etc (quite literally) Cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted March 20, 2002 #4 Share Posted March 20, 2002 Yeah I read that about a week ago, it is really cool. Reminds me of a diode in an electronic circuit. Diodes are cool 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheff_Pud Posted March 21, 2002 #5 Share Posted March 21, 2002 While the idea is a great theory, it is only a theory. If I remember my physics correctly, it is the vibrating of the atoms (or molecules?) that creates the heat i.e. sort of friction. How can you get an atom (or molecule) to vibrate but not vibrate? What I mean is that, by definition vibration is a,minimum, two way motion. If the movement is only one way it aint vibrating ergo no heat. Also if the movement is only one way then you got atoms (molecules) falling off the end of your (non)conductor. ??? BTW Being an ex-electronics technician I can tell you that diodes are not always cool. I was often burned by the heat sinks on some of the higher rated ones. :sh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted March 21, 2002 #6 Share Posted March 21, 2002 Dammit Sheff_Pud, Don't go ruining a good piece of theory with logic I was an electronics tech. as well years ago. Heat sinks are cool 8) no wait, I mean they're hot :sh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheff_Pud Posted March 22, 2002 #7 Share Posted March 22, 2002 Sorry for bursting your bubble Homer. :s06 cryogenics is cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted March 22, 2002 #8 Share Posted March 22, 2002 *LOL* Don't know nuttin' about cryogenics, except I do know they're cool, just like you said 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleStuart Posted March 23, 2002 #9 Share Posted March 23, 2002 Does that mean Geology rocks? ;D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleStuart Posted March 23, 2002 #10 Share Posted March 23, 2002 oh yeah and Demonology is wicked? :s04 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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