On Heat Conduction and Wave Propagation in Rigid Solids

This paper is concerned with conduction of heat and the related problem of propagation of thermal waves in stationary rigid solids. Special attention is given to rate-dependent response and the ensuing conditions of propagation in the conducting medium. The case in which the response of the medium is characterized by functions that are nonlinear in temperature and temperature gradient but are linear in the rate of temperature is studied in detail. The conclusions reached are also discussed in the context of the infinitesimal theory.