physics

Thermophysics

Thermophysics is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Thermophysics rather than just read about it. In short: Thermophysics is the application of thermodynamics to geophysics and to planetary science more broadly. It may also be used to refer to the field of thermodynamic and transport properties.

Key takeaways

Thermophysics belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Thermophysics to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Thermophysics from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Thermophysics is the application of thermodynamics to geophysics and to planetary science more broadly. It may also be used to refer to the field of thermodynamic and transport properties.

Remote sensing Earth thermophysics is a branch of geophysics that uses the naturally occurring surface temperature as a function of the cyclical variation in solar radiation to characterise planetary material properties. Thermophysical properties are characteristics that control the diurnal, seasonal, or climatic surface and subsurface temperature variations (or thermal curves) of a material. The most important thermophysical property is thermal inertia, which controls the amplitude of the thermal curve and albedo (or reflectivity), which controls the average temperature. This field of observations and computer modeling was first applied to Mars due to the ideal atmospheric pressure for characterising granular materials based upon temperature. The Mariner 6, Mariner 7, and Mariner 9 spacecraft carried thermal infrared radiometers, and a global map of thermal inertia was produced from modeled surface temperatures collected by the Infrared Thermal Mapper Instruments (IRTM) on board the Viking 1 and 2 Orbiters. The original thermophysical models were based upon the studies of lunar temperature variations. Further development of the models for Mars included surface-atmosphere energy transfer, atmospheric back-radiation, surface emissivity variations, CO2 frost and blocky surfaces, variability of atmospheric back-radiation, effects of a radiative-convective atmosphere, and single-point temperature observations.

References

Haberle, R.M.; Jakosky, B.M. (1991). "Atmospheric effects on the remote determination of thermal inertia on Mars". Icarus. 90 (2): 187–204. Bibcode:1991Icar...90..187H. doi:10.1016/0019-1035(91)90100-8. Hayashi, J.N.; Jakosky, B.M.; Haberle, R.M. (1995). "Atmospheric effects on the mapping of Martian thermal inertia and thermally derived albedo". J. Geophys. Res. 100 (E3): 5277–5284. Bibcode:1995JGR...100.5277H. doi:10.1029/94JE02449. hdl:2060/19940031630. Jaeger, J.C. (1953). "The Surface Temperature of the Moon". Aust. J. Phys. 6: 10. Bibcode:1953AuJPh...6...10J. doi:10.1071/PH530010. Jakosky, B.M.; Mellon, M.T.; Kieffer, H.H.; Christensen, P.R.; Varnes, E.S.; Lee, S.W. (2000). "The Thermal Inertia of Mars from the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer". J. Geophys. Res. 105 (E4): 9643–9652. Bibcode:2000JGR...105.9643J. doi:10.1029/1999JE001088. Kieffer, H.H.; Chase, S.C.; Miner, E.; Munch, G.; Neugebauer, G. (1973). "Preliminary Report on Infrared Radiometric Measurements from the Mariner 9 Spacecraft" (PDF). J. Geophys. Res. 78 (20): 4291–4312. Bibcode:1973JGR....78.4291K. doi:10.1029/JB078i020p04291. Kieffer, H.H.; Martin, T.Z.; Peterfreund, A.R.; Jakosky, B.M.; Miner, E.D.; Palluconi, F.D. (1977). "Thermal and Albedo Mapping of Mars During the Viking Primary Mission". J. Geophys. Res. 82 (28): 4249–4290. Bibcode:1977JGR....82.4249K. doi:10.1029/JS082i028p04249. Leovy, C. (1966). "Note on the thermal properties of Mars". Icarus. 5 (1–6): 1–6. Bibcode:1966Icar....5....1L. doi:10.1016/0019-1035(66)90002-9. hdl:2060/19650016474. Mellon, M.T; Jakosky, B.M.; Kieffer, H.H.; Christensen, P.R. (2000). "High Resolution Thermal Inertia Mapping from the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer". Icarus. 148 (2): 437–455. Bibcode:2000Icar..148..437M. doi:10.1006/icar.2000.6503. Neugebauer, G.; Munch, G.; Kieffer, H.H.; Chase, S.C.; Miner, E. (1971). "Mariner 1969 Infrared Radiometer Results: Temperatures and Thermal Properties of the Martian Surface" (PDF). Astron. J. 76: 719. Bibcode:1971AJ.....76..719N. doi:10.1086/111189. Wechsler, A.E.; Glaser, P.E. (1965). "Pressure Effects on Postulated Lunar Materials". Icarus. 4 (4): 335. Bibcode:1965Icar....4..335W. doi:10.1016/0019-1035(65)90038-2. Wesselink, A.J. (1948). "Heat conductivity and nature of the lunar surface material". Bull. Astron. Inst. Neth. 10: 351–363. Bibcode:1948BAN....10..351W.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Thermophysics

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Thermophysics claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Thermophysics before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Thermophysics ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Thermophysics

In research: Thermophysics appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Thermophysics in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Thermophysics is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Geophysics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Thermophysics outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Thermophysics in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Thermophysics means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Thermophysics out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Thermophysics in simple terms?

Thermophysics is the application of thermodynamics to geophysics and to planetary science more broadly. It may also be used to refer to the field of thermodynamic and transport properties.

Why does Thermophysics matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Thermophysics?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Thermophysics.