Automated apparatus for the determination of the specific heat and the thermal diffusivity of nonconducting solids using ac techniques

Abstract

A fully automated experimental setup is described that allows the determination of the heat capacity and thermal diffusivity on the same piece of a nonconducting thin solid sample. Both properties are measured using ac techniques. Measurements have been made on microscope glass cover slides for temperatures between 25 and 300 K. The values obtained for the specific heat are within 5% of those reported in the literature and the values of the thermal diffusivity are within 10% of reported values.