posted on Jan, 23 2005 @ 05:37 AM
Originally posted by klain
absolute zero is -497 correct me if im wrong but at that temperature even atoms stop i was wondering if there was a way to get colder than that what
would
- would space time not exist?
- happen would we create anti-matter?
Absolute Zero en.wikipedia.org...
It can be shown from the laws of thermodynamics that the temperature can never be exactly absolute zero; this is the same principle that ensures no
system may be 100% efficient, although it is possible to achieve temperatures arbitrarily close to it.
At very low temperatures in the vicinity of
absolute zero, matter exhibits many unusual properties including superconductivity, superfluidity, and Bose-Einstein condensation.
Bose-Einstein condensate en.wikipedia.org...
A Bose-Einstein condensate is a gaseous superfluid phase formed by atoms cooled to temperatures very near to absolute zero. Under such conditions, a
large fraction of the atoms collapse into the lowest quantum state, producing a superfluid known as Bose condensation or Bose-Einstein
condensation.
Bose-Einstein condensates are extremely fragile. The slightest interaction with the outside world can be enough to warm them past the condensation
threshold, causing them to break back down into individual atoms again; it will likely be some time before any practical applications are developed
for them. However, several interesting properties have already been observed in experiments.
-Bose-Einstein condensates can be made to have an extremely high gradient in the optical densities, resulting in extremely low measured speed of
light within it; some condensates have slowed beams of light down to mere meters per second, slower than a human can move on a bicycle.
-A rotating Bose-Einstein condensate could be used as a model black hole, allowing light to enter but not to escape.
-Condensates could also be used to "freeze" pulses of light, to be released again when the condensate breaks down. Research in this field is still
young and ongoing.