  We study the radiative heat transfer between a spheroidal metallic
nanoparticle and a planar metallic sample for near- and far-field distances. In
particular, we investigate the shape dependence of the heat transfer in the
near-field regime. In comparison with spherical particles, the heat transfer
typically varies by factors between 1/2 and 2 when the particle is deformed
such that its volume is kept constant. These estimates help to quantify the
deviation of the actual heat transfer recorded by a near-field scanning thermal
microscope from the value provided by a dipole model which assumes a perfectly
spherical sensor.
