Understanding Negative Absolute Temperature: Myth or Reality?

In summary, negative absolute temperature is a concept in thermodynamics where the temperature of a system is below absolute zero. This can be achieved by manipulating the energy levels of the system, resulting in a system with negative average energy and decreasing entropy as energy increases. Negative absolute temperature has implications in physics, including challenging common notions about temperature and entropy, and has been observed in certain systems. It can exist in nature, but is rare and typically only observed in controlled laboratory conditions. Negative absolute temperature should not be confused with negative temperature, which is a concept in statistical mechanics and does not necessarily result in a temperature below absolute zero.
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huyen_vyvy
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What is really meant by temperature and negative absolute temperature? Is that an abnormal state that happens during population inversion in laser?
 
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You may find the following link useful.

http://www.maxwellian.demon.co.uk/art/esa/negkelvin/negkelvin.html [Broken]
 
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What is negative absolute temperature?

Negative absolute temperature is a concept in thermodynamics where the temperature of a system is below absolute zero, which is the lowest possible temperature in the Kelvin scale. This means that the particles in the system have negative average energy, and their entropy decreases as their energy increases.

How is negative absolute temperature achieved?

Negative absolute temperature can be achieved by manipulating the energy levels of a system. This is typically done by using a combination of magnetic fields and lasers to force the particles in the system to have higher energy states than the lowest possible state. This results in a system with negative absolute temperature.

What is the significance of negative absolute temperature?

Negative absolute temperature has several important implications in physics. It challenges common notions about temperature and entropy, and it has been observed in certain systems such as ultracold atoms. It also has potential applications in creating highly efficient heat engines and in quantum information processing.

Can negative absolute temperature exist in nature?

Yes, negative absolute temperature can exist in nature. It has been observed in certain systems such as ultracold atoms, and it has also been theorized to occur in certain astrophysical systems like neutron stars. However, it is a rare phenomenon and is typically only observed in highly controlled laboratory conditions.

How does negative absolute temperature differ from negative temperature?

Negative absolute temperature is often confused with negative temperature, but they are not the same. Negative temperature is a concept in statistical mechanics where the particles in a system have a higher energy state than the highest possible state. This results in a system with negative temperature, but it is not necessarily below absolute zero. Negative absolute temperature, on the other hand, is always below absolute zero and has unique thermodynamic properties.

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