What exactly happens at Absolute Zero

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At absolute zero, atomic motion theoretically ceases, but electrons do not stop their behavior due to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, which prevents them from having a defined position and momentum. Instead, they occupy the lowest energy state without collapsing into a single point. Bose-Einstein Condensates (BEC) can occur at temperatures close to absolute zero, but not at absolute zero itself, and they demonstrate unique properties such as slowing light. The discussion emphasizes that electrons are not like orbiting planets; their behavior is better described by quantum mechanics. Overall, while temperature affects electron behavior in solids, they cannot be forced into a lower energy state than their ground state.
  • #31
mgervasoni said:
I have a question, and please be nice as I am a new lover of physics:

As I understand:
1: The Bose-Einstein Condensate says the passage of light / photons can slow down at very low / near absolute 0 temperatures.
2. Einstein's theory of relativity states that the speed of light in a vacuum is the constant of the universe, not space or time or space-time, as Newton assumed.
Questions 1:
What happens inside this slowing of the passage of light in relation to (space)time? If we could slow down light, say, all around us, what would be happening?Question 2:
Is reaching absolute 0 impossible, or possible but we haven't figure out how yet?

Clarified one of your statements. As for absolute zero, thanks to quantum uncertainty, it is not reachable. Although scientists have gotten ridiculously close.
 
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  • #32
Thanks for clarifying that makes a huge difference.. but I still don't accept theories with the word quantum in the front.. maybe someday tho I'll be forced to.
 
  • #33
mgervasoni said:
Thanks for clarifying that makes a huge difference.. but I still don't accept theories with the word quantum in the front.. maybe someday tho I'll be forced to.

If you don't accept them, then you don't accept that things like transistors work? Lasers? They work exactly as described by Quantum Mechanics. It is not a coincidence.

mgervasoni said:
Isn't a free electron, electricity (electric current)?

Nope. A free electron is just a free electron.
 
  • #34
Just think of it as a prediction tool. Science is concerned with describing behavior and making predictions, not what something "really is." While I know incredibly little about quantum mechanics compared to many people here, I still highly doubt that the wacky world it describes is "true." However, whether it is true or not is completely irrelevant to the theory's validity.
 
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