A Temperature Lower Than Absolute Zero

[Seriously]

Scientists Reach A Temperature Lower Than Absolute Zero


http://newrisingmedia.com/storage/absolute zero.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1357320656476

Physicists at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Germany have hit a temperature lower than absolute zero, rewriting the laws of physics in the process.

This was achieved through the construction of a quantum gas using potassium atoms, attached to a standard lattice group by magnetic fields and lasers. The magnetic fields were rapidly adjusted, making the atoms transition quickly from a low energy state to the highest possible state, all while the lasers kept said atoms in place. With this negative temperature state, the gas dipped to "a few billionths of a Kelvin below absolute zero."

With this breakthrough has come some rather interesting side effects, leading to potential "new forms of matter." For example, while atoms are usually pulled downward by gravity, those below absolute zero float upwards instead. They also show characteristics much alike dark energy, which is what is (hypothetically) responsible for the expansion of the universe. It's an exciting discovery, that pushes us beyond the theoretical 'walls' of physics.

Source: Negative Absolute Temperature for Motional Degrees of Freedom

Jason England

What next? The more they learn the less they know.

 

[K3NS31]

From El Reg:

"Note that this doesn't mean the resulting system is actually cold, however. Nothing can be colder than absolute zero, which is a theoretical state at which particles have no energy at all. On the contrary, a system with a sub-zero absolute temperature is actually hotter than the same system at any positive temperature – a perverse result of how absolute temperature has been defined."

See the rest of the article:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/05/quantum_gas_below_absolute_zero/

Also here, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130104143516.htm
for a more thorough explanation.

 

[ponder]

So does this mean hell can freeze over now? Could be very handy.

 

[SoulTax]

I think I have a basic understanding of what is going on here. All in all, quite amazing if it can help to explain darkmatter.

 

[AntiThesis]

Reading things like this make me feel like a child sitting at the seaside trying to empty the ocean with a bucket. I love it.

 

[Ninja'd]

Kelvin got declined.

 

[Sinbad]

: “It is even hotter than at any positive temperature – the temperature scale simply does not end at infinity, but jumps to negative values instead.”

In fact what really happened is they used an unsigned long int field as a signed one, and it wrapped when the top order bit changed to 1

 

[Picard]

This was achieved through the construction of a quantum gas using potassium atoms, attached to a standard lattice group by magnetic fields and lasers. The magnetic fields were rapidly adjusted, making the atoms transition quickly from a low energy state to the highest possible state, all while the lasers kept said atoms in place. With this negative temperature state, the gas dipped to "a few billionths of a Kelvin below absolute zero."

For the laymen here ...

1. What is a standard lattice group?
2. What makes potassium atoms different?
3. How can lasers hold atoms in place?