Quote:
Originally Posted by rat156
... unless something is cooling the metal, it cannot be colder than the surrounding air.
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Whilst I agree that most of the effect of "coolness" is due to thermal conductivity, the system is unlikely to be a closed system in equilibrium, and radiative cooling of the OTA may occur faster than convective heat transfer from the surrounding air. However, I would expect any temperature difference to be small - a fraction of a degree perhaps.
I'll defer to more learned opinions if someone can summon the appropriate maths and show what's going on ... beyond my semi-lucid mumblings.
