Wiktionary
n. (context thermodynamics English) A state in which two or more systems can exchange thermal energy.
Wikipedia
In heat transfer and thermodynamics, a thermodynamic system is said to be in thermal contact with another system if it can exchange energy through the process of heat. Perfect thermal isolation is an idealization as real systems are always in thermal contact with their environment to some extent. The area available for heat flow through interstitial gaps often is 2 to 4 orders of magnitude greater than the contact area; heat flow through gaps can't be neglected especially if the solids are relatively poor conductors or interface medium is a good conductor.
When two solid bodies are in contact, a resistance to heat transfer exists between the bodies. The study of heat conduction between such bodies is called thermal contact conductance (Or thermal contact resistance).
Usage examples of "thermal contact".
The soles of her feet, in thermal contact with the cold Martian soil, were cold.
There will be problems of cleanliness (medieval clean room conditions), of finish, homogeneity of mixes of ingredients, labeling and packaging, of getting surfaces into decent thermal contact (electroplating gives a rough, lumpy finish which will have to be smoothed before mounting in the pressbut without deforming the grooves on the other side), of waste material that needs cutting off without either deforming or dirtying the disc.
There will be problems of cleanliness (medieval clean room conditions), of finish, homogeneity of mixes of ingredients, labeling and packaging, of getting surfaces into decent thermal contact (electroplating gives a rough, lumpy finish which will have to be smoothed before mounting in the press—.
This shows that just because two points in the universe get closer and closer as we head back to the bang, it is not necessarily the case that they can have had the thermal contact—.
There will be problems of cleanliness (medieval clean room conditions), of finish, homogeneity of mixes of ingredients, labeling and packaging, of getting surfaces into decent thermal contact (electroplating gives a rough, lumpy finish which will have to be smoothed before mounting in the press&mdash.