Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
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MM: Fachverband Metall- und Materialphysik
MM 19: Poster Session
MM 19.39: Poster
Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 18:00–20:00, P5
Ballistic transport effects on the thermal conduction in nanowires — Ralf Meyer1, Graham W. Gibson2, and •Alexander N. Robillard1 — 1Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada — 2University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
The effect of ballistic transport on the thermal conduction in nanowires is studied with molecular dynamics and phonon Monte Carlo simulations. Simulations of nanowires between a heat source and a heat sink show — in agreement with previous results by other groups — the occurrence of a non-linear temperature profile with steep temperature gradients near the source and the sink combined with a reduced temperature gradient in the middle of the wire. The reduced gradients in the centre are then compared to a simple radiator model. This model predicts linear temperature profiles with a reduced gradient and discreet jumps at the wire ends. The comparison shows that if the wires are longer than the typical mean free path of the phonons, the radiator model is able to describe the reduction of the temperature gradient in the middle of the wires as well as their thermal resistances. The steep gradients at the wire ends can then be seen as the realization of the radiator model’s discreet jumps in the more complex computer simulations.
Keywords: ballistic transport; nanowires; molecular dynamics; phonon Monte Carlo; computer simulation