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Chinese Scientists Set New Low Temperature Record in Space

Updated 6:27 AM ET · 6:35 PM ETConfirmedShare via:          

Science Desk

In Short: Chinese scientists have achieved a new record for the lowest temperature ever measured, reaching an astonishing 9.7 picokelvins aboard the Tiangong space station.

Chinese scientists have achieved a new record for the lowest temperature ever measured, reaching an astonishing 9.7 picokelvins aboard the Tiangong space station. This temperature is approximately 280 billion times colder than the average background temperature of space, marking a significant scientific milestone.

The experiment, conducted in microgravity conditions, utilized a Bose-Einstein condensate to achieve this unprecedented low temperature. This state of matter is formed when a group of atoms cools to such a degree that they begin to behave as a single entity, exhibiting quantum phenomena on a macroscopic scale.

The previous record was shattered by this achievement, which brings scientists closer to the theoretical limit of absolute zero, where thermal energy is completely absent. Absolute zero is defined as zero kelvins, or −273.15°C, and while it cannot be reached, this experiment has pushed the boundaries of what is possible in cooling technology.

The average temperature of the universe is around 2.7 kelvins, making the newly achieved temperature of 9.7 picokelvins an extraordinary feat. The microgravity environment on the Tiangong space station allowed for greater precision in cooling techniques, enabling the scientists to achieve such a low temperature.

The experiment's success highlights the importance of space-based research in advancing scientific understanding. By overcoming the limitations of Earth's gravity, scientists can conduct experiments that would be impossible or extremely difficult on the ground.

While the achievement is a significant step forward, reaching absolute zero remains an elusive goal. Scientists continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in the quest to understand the fundamental nature of matter and energy.

This breakthrough could have far-reaching implications for fields such as quantum computing and materials science, where ultra-cold temperatures are essential for the development of new technologies.

Background

What's confirmed

• Chinese scientists have achieved a new record for the lowest temperature ever measured, reaching an astonishing 9.7 picokelvins aboard the Tiangong space station. This temperature is approximately 280 billion times colder than the average background temperature of space, marking a significant scientific milestone.
• The experiment, conducted in microgravity conditions, utilized a Bose-Einstein condensate to achieve this unprecedented low temperature. This state of matter is formed when a group of atoms cools to such a degree that they begin to behave as a single entity, exhibiting quantum phenomena on a macroscopic scale.
• The previous record was shattered by this achievement, which brings scientists closer to the theoretical limit of absolute zero, where thermal energy is completely absent. Absolute zero is defined as zero kelvins, or −273.15°C, and while it cannot be reached, this experiment has pushed the boundaries of what is possible in cooling technology.
• The average temperature of the universe is around 2.7 kelvins, making the newly achieved temperature of 9.7 picokelvins an extraordinary feat. The microgravity environment on the Tiangong space station allowed for greater precision in cooling techniques, enabling the scientists to achieve such a low temperature.
• The experiment's success highlights the importance of space-based research in advancing scientific understanding. By overcoming the limitations of Earth's gravity, scientists can conduct experiments that would be impossible or extremely difficult on the ground.
• While the achievement is a significant step forward, reaching absolute zero remains an elusive goal. Scientists continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in the quest to understand the fundamental nature of matter and energy.
• This breakthrough could have far-reaching implications for fields such as quantum computing and materials science, where ultra-cold temperatures are essential for the development of new technologies.

What's still developing

• That’s barely a smidge above absolute zero (−273.15° Celsius).
• But on the space station, the atoms experienced microgravity, the apparent weightlessness of an object in free fall.
• New research from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health could give health care providers and scientists the insights to assist older adults in adopting new technology to manage Type 1 diabetes.
• "If the population reaches 100,000, then we need to start being careful."
• Yet, scientists have created a titanium structure that floats without compromising the metal’s strength.
• First author Michelle Kueppers, a postdoctoral scholar in Moerner's laboratory, explained that combining the strengths of different imaging approaches could help scientists answer previously inaccessible questions.
• Scientists can also investigate what happens when cells encounter drugs or disease causing organisms, potentially uncovering biological processes that have been difficult to study.
• A new microscope developed at Stanford University allows scientists to watch the tiny structures inside living cells move and interact in real time, providing an exceptionally detailed view without the fluorescent labels typically used to make these structures visible.
• Now, in a recent paper published in Nature, scientists from the University of Vermont and Penn State University led an international team investigating bats ’ immune systems.
• “Many of the genes that have adapted to viruses in bats are genes that are also involved in longevity and cancer resistance.” Bats make an ideal study subject as they are only second to rodents in diversity, allowing scientists to study a wide variety of features in a single order.
• These small creatures grace the night skies with extremely long lifespans and low cancer rates—traits that may ultimately benefit humanity if scientists can figure out how bats achieve them.
• The UK recorded its hottest summer since records began in 1884, with an average temperature of 16.5°C, exceeding last year's record by 0.4°C.

Sources

• Newslink
• Science Newslink
• Warpbeatlink
• Sphlink
• ScienceAlertlink
• Abcnewslink
• Newatlaslink
• Sciencedailylink
• Thedebrieflink
• Solarpaceslink
• WarpBeat — background on Chinese Scientists Achieve Record Temperature 280 Billion Times Colder Than Space link
• WarpBeat — background on Chinese Scientists Set Record for Coldest Temperature in Space link