Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Negative absolute temperatures

Journal Article · · Sci. Am.; (United States)
It is pointed out that there are a few physical systems whose temperature when measured on an absolute scale can assume negative values. Such temperatures are not colder than absolute zero; a system with a negative temperature can give heat to one at an infinite temperature and is therefore hotter. The mechanism for such negative temperatures is described, the main idea of which involves the orientation of the nuclear spins within the crystal lattice. (JFP)
OSTI ID:
6796844
Journal Information:
Sci. Am.; (United States), Journal Name: Sci. Am.; (United States) Vol. 239:2; ISSN SCAMA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Conditions for stable equilibrium of systems at negative absolute temperatures
Journal Article · Thu Oct 31 23:00:00 EST 1963 · Physics Letters · OSTI ID:4132705

THERMODYNAMIC POTENTIALS FOR SYSTEMS AT NEGATIVE ABSOLUTE TEMPERATURES
Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1960 · Physical Review (U.S.) Superseded in part by Phys. Rev. A, Phys. Rev. B: Solid State, Phys. Rev. C, and Phys. Rev. D · OSTI ID:4137547

Cosmology with negative absolute temperatures
Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics · OSTI ID:22679490