[time-nuts] Thunderbolt stability and ambient temperature

[Rex]

Bruce Griffiths wrote:

>Rex wrote:
>  
>
>>Now, back to the subject of heat, I have a strange observation that I
>>posted on the web a few years ago. A few people thought they had seen
>>the same thing, but most thought what I noticed was not real. I posted
>>because, if it was true, it seemed unexpected and I had never heard
>>anything that could explain it.
>>
>>I was welding or heat treating steel. Imagine a steel bar about 1 inch
>>(2.54 cm) in diameter and a foot to 18 " (30-40 cm)  long. The bar is
>>clamped in a vise and with a torch one end is quickly brought up to
>>red heat. The other end is still cool enough that with my bare hand I
>>can hold the bar by the cool end and carry it into the next room. I
>>carry it there to cool it in the sink. A stream of cold water turned
>>on, I quickly cool the hot end in the water. My observation, from
>>doing this several times, is that the cold water quickly absorbes heat
>>from the red end, but also seems to chase a lot of the heat quickly up
>>toward the cold end, making the bar rapidly uncomfortable to hold. So
>>that's my observation. I think the sudden cooling of the very hot end
>>has somehow chased a glob of heat toward the cool end. If true, I have
>>no explanation. I don't think it is related to steam; it seems to me
>>to be something happening inside the bar.
>>
>>Most people thought it was coincidence of heat propagating up the bar
>>just at that time, or steam. Could be, but I still think it is real.
>>The cold end of the bar was slowly getting warmer as I carried it, but
>>after the sudden cooling of the hot end, the cold end seemed to get
>>hot fast.
>>
>>I meant to try an experiment with two bars and dual thermocouples, but
>>I never got around to it. The main problem is getting things close
>>enough to compare without questioning the heated states. My plan would
>>have been: attach two themocouples to the cold end of two identical
>>bars. Heat the two other ends rapidly to red heat (that is the very
>>hard part to get right and balanced) and then just cool one bar
>>rapidly while recording both temp profiles of the cold ends.  If I
>>figure out how to do the heating quick and balanced, I may still try
>>the experiment.
>>
>>So I started with a bit of complaining about the rambling of the
>>thread, and now I've rambled it in a whole nother direction. Sorry, I
>>guess.
>>
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>Rex
>
>your experience with the hot bar is quite common.
>
>Bruce
>
>
>  
>
Bruce,

Good to hear someone with your credentials validate my "heat-chasing" 
observation. I am not aware of anything in common physics that explains 
the phenomina. Is there some kind of thermodynamic or atomic 
explanation? Got any leads?

-Rex