What are the difficulties of reaching absolute zero in physics? Science answers!

According to the data collected by science, Absolute zero is the lowest temperature in the universe, set at minus 273.15 degrees Celsius. This number may not seem that impressive, since the temperature of basaltic lava from a volcano can reach up to 1200 degrees Celsius. However, there is no other place on earth with such a cold climate.

British physicist William Thomson, also known as Lord Kelvin, He was the first scientist in history Understand that the lowest possible temperature is -273.15 degrees Celsius. Thomson noticed that when the temperature drops from 0 °C to -1 °C, the pressure also decreases; After some calculations, he realized that at -273 °C the thermal motion of molecules would completely stop.

Well, absolute zero is exactly the coldest possible temperature for physicsBecause when it reaches this level, the cooling process stops. Consider that if it is already uncomfortable to live in regions with climates reaching -15 °C, it is almost impossible to survive in environments reaching -60 °C, and that there are communities that continue to live in places with this extreme climate.

The most intense cold that human beings have experienced and continue to encounter with the help of special clothing and equipment is experienced in space. Astronauts can experience temperatures down to -270°C during spacewalks. Science has reached a temperature close to this temperature for the first time -273.15 °C was seen in a laboratory in Germany during an experiment conducted in 2021.

“Absolute zero is the temperature at which a thermodynamic system has the lowest energy. It corresponds to -273.15 °C on the Celsius temperature scale and -459.67 °F on the Fahrenheit temperature scale. The idea of ​​a lower temperature has been proposed as follows : Behavior of gases at low pressures: It has been noted that gases contract indefinitely as the temperature decreases,” explains the encyclopedia Britannica.

Physics challenges for absolute zero

There is no limit to the highest temperatures in the universe, although absolute zero is limited to reaching -273.15°C. For example, lava coming out of a volcano can reach temperatures up to 1200 °C, but the temperature in the core of the Sun can reach up to 15 million degrees Celsius. In other words, vibration measurements of all particles are faster in environments where the temperature is higher, However, they reach absolute zero when they no longer have the energy to continue moving.

Even with the discovery made by William Thomson, reaching the extreme cold limit in laboratory experiments was not such a simple task. The first tests began in the 1990s, when scientists created a laser cooling technique. However, the lowest temperature was reached for the first time during an experiment conducted in Germany in 2021.

To get the result, The team of scientists from Ludwig Maximilian University used a 120-meter tower from which supercold and magnetized gas atoms were released.; The experiment is known as magnetic trap cooling. Researchers managed to reach an altitude of approximately one millionth of a degree above absolute zero.

Despite the successful results of the experiment, some scientists believe that it is no longer urgent to reach absolute zero in the next tests. Because reaching a lower temperature than that achieved in the last study is not an easy task. One of the most important issues for the future of the region is understanding the quantum effects of absolute cold.

“We are interested in these quantum effects rather than reaching absolute zero. Laser-cooled atoms are already used in atomic models (atomic clocks) and quantum computers that describe universal time. The research is ongoing at lower temperatures, and Oxford University physicist Christopher Foot told the website: “Humans “He uses these methods to test universal physical theories.” Live Science.

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