Thermal Conductivity of Pure Noble Gases at Low Density from Ab Initio Prandtl Number

The experimental data reported in the literature after 2000 have been investigated for the viscosity and thermal conductivity of helium-4, neon, and argon at low density. The well-established values of thermal conductivity by transient hot-wire measurements are not reliable enough for noble gases in the low-pressure gas region. These facts motivate us to determine the thermal conductivity from accurate viscosity data and the ab initio Prandtl number, with an uncertainty of 0.25 % for temperatures ranging between 200 K and 700 K. The theoretical accuracy is superior to the accuracy of the best measurements. The calculated results are accurate enough to be applied as standard values for the thermal conductivity of helium-4, neon, and argon over the considered temperature range.