Kinetic Theory and Extended Thermodynamics of Metal Electrons

Abstract

There is one conclusion above all which we may draw from the study of the foregoing chapters: Extended thermo-dynamics differs from ordinary thermodynamics whenever the constituent particles of the body have large mean free paths, or large mean times of free flight. This situation occurs in dilute gases, and for “gases” of photons and phonons as we have seen, — but also for the electrons in a metallic conductor which carry both the electric current and the heat flux.