Temperature Field

the set of temperature values at all points in a given space at a given instant. Mathematically, an unsteady-state three-dimensional temperature field may be described by an equation that expresses the dependence of the temperatures on the three spatial coordinates and time. For steady-state conditions, the temperature field is independent of time. In many cases the dependence of the temperature field on two coordinates—and occasionally on one coordinate—may be considered. A temperature field is represented graphically by means of isothermal surfaces, each of which connects all points of the field having the same temperature. A two-dimensional field is represented by means of a family of isotherms. The distance between isotherms is inversely proportional to the temperature gradient; in this case, the scalar temperature field is associated with the vector field of the temperature gradients.