An extended thermodynamic model of transient heat conduction at sub-continuum scales

A thermodynamic description of transient heat conduction at small length and timescales is proposed. It is based on extended irreversible thermodynamics and the main feature of this formalism is to elevate the heat flux vector to the status of independent variable at the same level as the classical variable, the temperature. The present model assumes the coexistence of two kinds of heat carriers: diffusive and ballistic phonons. The behaviour of the diffusive phonons is governed by a Cattaneo-type equation to take into account the high-frequency phenomena generally present at nanoscales. To include non-local effects that are dominant in nanostructures, it is assumed that the ballistic carriers are obeying a Guyer-Krumhansl relation. The model is applied to the problem of transient heat conduction through a thin nanofilm. The numerical results are compared with those provided by Fourier, Cattaneo and other recent models.