Irreversible relativistic thermodynamics: a dynamic approach

A revisitation of a relativistic continuum Thermodynamics is proposed. A material body is regarded as a binary system, consisting of two interacting subsystems, respectively called the material substratum and the heat subsystem. A detailed analysis of the interactions, as well as of the limitations posed by the second law of Thermodynamics is developed. The resulting scheme provides a description of heat conduction and of internal dissipation consistent with the existence of a finite wave speed for both temperature and acceleration fields