Thermophysics and Spacecraft Thermal Control

Thermophysics is a multidisciplinary field of science and engineering founded on the principles of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and electromagnetic radiation. The thermophysics community has expanded the traditional boundaries of the basic science and engineering fields on which it rests to include those external and internal conditions peculiar to space flight. Among these new external conditions are such elements as the high vacuum of space, the presence of many types of radiation (ultraviolet, particularly infrared, solar, etc.), and the unfamiliar gaseous constituency of neighboring planets. New internal conditions include, among others, the lack of a convective mechanism to transfer thermal energy. This volume reports on advances in these areas.