A simple mathematical model of the thermal death of microorganisms

This note is concerned with a simple mathematical model of how a population of bacterial spores decrease with time when subjected to a uniform temperature. The model assumes that there is a Boltzman distribution of energy among water or other molecules surrounding the assumed single lethal target in a spore; it assumes that repair is not possible; and that only molecules with energies above a critical level cause inactivation. The model provides new insight concerning the ‘kill-rate’ of spores during ultra heat treatment.