Negative temperatures , BELOW 0 Kelvin?-Confirmation please

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SUMMARY

Negative temperatures, while seemingly paradoxical, are not below absolute zero; they represent a state where a system is hotter than any positive temperature. This concept is confirmed by experimental evidence and discussed in Pathria's statistical mechanics literature. The implications of negative temperatures indicate that heat flows from these systems to positive temperature systems, challenging traditional thermodynamic understanding. Therefore, the claim regarding negative temperatures is valid and not a hoax.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of thermodynamics principles
  • Familiarity with statistical mechanics, particularly concepts from Pathria's textbook
  • Knowledge of heat transfer mechanisms
  • Basic grasp of temperature scales and absolute zero
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  • Research the experimental methods used to achieve negative temperatures
  • Study the implications of negative temperatures on thermodynamic systems
  • Explore the concept of heat flow in systems with negative temperatures
  • Review Pathria's statistical mechanics for deeper insights into the topic
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Physicists, thermodynamics researchers, and students of statistical mechanics seeking to understand the implications and realities of negative temperatures.

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"Negative temperatures", BELOW 0 Kelvin?--Confirmation please

Someone shared this article with me:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...d-setting-negative-temperature_n_2404666.html

...And I've seen a couple others apparently referencing the same thing. If it's a hoax, it's beyond my ability to identify it. But this is a rather extraordinary claim. Can anyone clarify the reliability and implications of this discovery? Many thanks...
 
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Negative temperatures are not below absolute zero. They are actually hotter than any positive temperature in the sense that, heat will flow out of the negative temperature system to the positive temperature system.

I was under the impression negative temperatures have already been experimentally reached (at least Pathria stated so in his stat mech book).
 


In short, no it's not a hoax. It just doesn't what you think it means. Despite the name, it does not mean "colder than absolute zero". Just the opposite; negative temperatures are hot.

There's an ongoing discussion on negative temperatures in this thread: [thread]662268[/thread].

I'm closing this thread since there's no reason to have two active threads on the same subject.
 

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