1301.0852 (Victor Romero-Rochin)

Are absolute negative temperatures meaningful?    [PDF]

Victor Romero-Rochin

The question posed in the title is answered in the negative. It is shown that, although Ramsey theoretical reformulation of the Second Law for systems with purported negative temperatures is logically correct, states with negative temperature are not stable under small, yet arbitrary, perturbations. We prove the previous statement using the fact that, in equilibrium, the entropy takes its maximum value. Since thermodynamic equilibrium states cannot occur, reversible processes are not possible and, thus, Ramsey identification of negative absolute temperatures is untenable.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1301.0852