Negative temperature and entropy

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of negative temperature and its implications for entropy, particularly in the context of thermodynamics and specific systems like lasers and nuclear spins. Participants explore the definitions, characteristics, and conditions under which negative temperatures can occur, as well as the relationship between entropy and temperature in these scenarios.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that negative temperature arises from the definition of temperature, where entropy decreases with increasing energy.
  • Others mention that negative temperatures are not colder than absolute zero but are instead considered very hot.
  • It is noted that negative temperatures occur in metastable or quasi-equilibrium systems, not in systems at equilibrium.
  • Some participants argue that the principle of increasing entropy is universal, but its application may be limited to isolated systems.
  • There is a discussion about specific systems, such as nuclear spins in a magnetic field, where negative temperatures can persist without additional work.
  • A participant questions the validity of Clausius inequality for negative temperatures, suggesting that its proof for positive temperatures does not hold.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the implications and characteristics of negative temperature, with no consensus reached on the validity of certain principles like the Clausius inequality in this context. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the broader implications of negative temperatures on thermodynamic principles.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight that negative temperatures are associated with systems that have a limited number of states and that the relationship between entropy and temperature in these cases may not align with traditional thermodynamic expectations.

persia7
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we know the entropy in each process increases is it true for absolute negative temperature?
 
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Naty1 said:
There is noabsolute temperature below absolute zero.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_zero
a week ago scientist discover there is negative temperature,if you suppose there is, what is your answer?
 
persia7 said:
a week ago scientist discover there is negative temperature,if you suppose there is, what is your answer?

The negative temperature arrives from the definition of temperature.

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So if the entropy of the system decreases with increasing energy, then the temperature is said to be negative. This is common in lasers, where population inversion can be considered as a negative temperature.
 
persia7 said:
a week ago scientist discover there is negative temperature,if you suppose there is, what is your answer?

Negative temperature has been known for a far longer time now. I think it was the first demonstration of negative temperature for an atomic gas which has been published recently. Here adding energy can decrease entropy. However, it is important to note two things:

1) Although the temperature is negative, one cannot translate that into the system being colder than one at absolute zero. It is instead VERY hot.

2) Negative temperatures occur in metastable or quasi-equilibrium systems, NOT in systems which are in equilibrium, so you keep a state stable which is not the ground state. You may imagine such state as similar to the steady state of a laser which involves population inversion. Note the difference between steady state and equilibrium state! As these states are not the equilibrium ones, you do not run into trouble with thermodynamics.
 
the principle increasing of entropy is universal , please explain it in negative temperature.
 
Cthugha said:
2) Negative temperatures occur in metastable or quasi-equilibrium systems, NOT in systems which are in equilibrium, so you keep a state stable which is not the ground state. You may imagine such state as similar to the steady state of a laser which involves population inversion. Note the difference between steady state and equilibrium state! As these states are not the equilibrium ones, you do not run into trouble with thermodynamics.
Well, they are metastable only in the sense that their environment is colder, thus they tend to cool (go toward positive temperatures). This is true for any system (positive or negative temperature), which is hotter than its surroundings.

Some systems (e.g. nuclear spins in magnetic field) can be decoupled from their environment so effectively that a negative temperature remains even days without any additional work.
 
persia7 said:
the principle increasing of entropy is universal , please explain it in negative temperature.

Well almost, it applies to isolated systems only, but that qualifies as universal in my opinion. You only get negative temperatures for systems with a limited number of states. Think about the omnipresent spins in a magnetic field. The ground state (temperature 0 if you wish) consists of all spins aligned with the magnetic field. There is only one microstate for this configuration. Now the highest entropy comes up when half of the spins are aligned along the field and half of them are aligned contrary to it. There are many microstates for this configuration. Now a higher energy state is given when all spins are aligned contrary to the magnetic field. Interestingly, there is again only one microstate for this configuration, so the entropy is low. As entropy decreased by adding energy, this corresponds to negative temperature. If you just let this system evolve, it can only go to states with higher entropy as it is already the state of lowest entropy, so there is no problem with thermodynsmics.

QuasiParticle said:
Well, they are metastable only in the sense that their environment is colder, thus they tend to cool (go toward positive temperatures). This is true for any system (positive or negative temperature), which is hotter than its surroundings.
Some systems (e.g. nuclear spins in magnetic field) can be decoupled from their environment so effectively that a negative temperature remains even days without any additional work.

This is of course correct. In principle they may be as metastable as glass, for example.
 
is clausius inequality correct for negative temperature?, if you see the proof of it in positive temperature its not correct.
 

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