Gradient Direction as an Initial Condition in the Mpemba Effect

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Main Author: Dat, Dat
Format: Recurso digital
Published: Zenodo 2026
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author Dat, Dat
author_facet Dat, Dat
contents <p>The initial direction of the internal thermal gradient influences whether a sample immediately supports or temporarily resists outward heat flow at the onset of cooling. A sample whose core is warmer than its surface - having been losing heat to its surroundings before cooling begins - enters the cooling phase with an internal heat flux already directed outward. External cooling and internal structure act together from the first moment. A sample whose core is cooler than its surface - having been absorbing heat from a warmer ambient - carries an inward-directed gradient. When cooling begins, this structure must first reverse before the whole volume participates efficiently in heat loss. The reversal introduces a transient delay. This asymmetry is not captured by mean temperature alone. Two samples at equal mean temperature but opposite gradient histories are predicted to cool at different rates. This effect is most visible when the internal structure is not immediately erased.</p>
format Recurso digital
id zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_19387840
institution Zenodo
language
publishDate 2026
publisher Zenodo
record_format zenodo
spellingShingle Gradient Direction as an Initial Condition in the Mpemba Effect
Dat, Dat
<p>The initial direction of the internal thermal gradient influences whether a sample immediately supports or temporarily resists outward heat flow at the onset of cooling. A sample whose core is warmer than its surface - having been losing heat to its surroundings before cooling begins - enters the cooling phase with an internal heat flux already directed outward. External cooling and internal structure act together from the first moment. A sample whose core is cooler than its surface - having been absorbing heat from a warmer ambient - carries an inward-directed gradient. When cooling begins, this structure must first reverse before the whole volume participates efficiently in heat loss. The reversal introduces a transient delay. This asymmetry is not captured by mean temperature alone. Two samples at equal mean temperature but opposite gradient histories are predicted to cool at different rates. This effect is most visible when the internal structure is not immediately erased.</p>
title Gradient Direction as an Initial Condition in the Mpemba Effect
url https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19387840