It is shown that the apparent infinite propagation velocity in heat conduction is the result of neglecting the atomistic structure of matter. A modified differential equation is derived which gives a finite speed of propagation.
Experiments with electrostatic and magnetic probes were performed to investigate the electron diffusion ahead of shock waves of Ms = 8 to 12 in argon. Negative electrostatic signals of several volts were obtained with pronounced fronts propagating with velocities up to several times the shock velocity. The current produced by the diffusing electrons was determined from a measurement of the azimuthal magnetic field and found to be of the order of 10−5 amp for Ms = 12. By assuming that the electron flow velocity is approximately equal to the velocity of the electrostatic front, the measured current corresponds to an electron density of ne ≈ 107 cm−3 at about 1 m ahead of the shock front.
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