Light at Absolute Zero: Answers to Your Questions

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of electromagnetic radiation at absolute zero temperature, exploring theoretical implications and the nature of temperature in relation to radiation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions how electromagnetic radiation behaves at absolute zero, seeking clarification on the topic.
  • Another participant asserts that radiation itself does not have a temperature, emphasizing that temperature pertains to the emitting object rather than the radiation.
  • A different viewpoint suggests that at absolute zero, objects would be motionless, and any light introduced would be absorbed, converting some of its energy to heat.
  • Conversely, another participant argues that light passing through a region at absolute zero would remain unaffected, except for the portion converted to heat upon interaction with objects.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of temperature in relation to radiation and the effects of introducing light into a system at absolute zero, indicating that multiple competing views remain without consensus.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved assumptions regarding the definitions of temperature and the interaction of light with matter at absolute zero, which may influence the interpretations presented.

ravisastry
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Hi, I'd like to know how does electromagnetic radiation behave at absolute zero temparature ? pls let me know. Thanks in advance !
 
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When people talk about the temperature of radiation they mean the temperature of the object that emitted the radiation. There is no meaning to radiation itself having a temp that I know of. Maxwell's equations do not involve temperature
 
Only objects have temperature - and it's nothing more than a measure of how much vibration energy they have. That's what heat is - just vibration.

If you had a universe full of objects at absolute zero (I think that's what you are describing) all of those objects would be sitting still, unmoving.

If you then shine a light into the universe (You'd have to do it from outside because none of these cold objects have any energy to emit light themselves), the energy of the light would be absorbed by any object it hit, warming it up slightly.

The light (or any other sort of EM radiation) would slowly be converted to a little bit of heat.
 
Even so, per what AJ said, if you merely shined a light through a region this cold, it would pass through unaffected. What didn't get converted to heat anyway.
 

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