Going Lower than Absolute Zero

Originally posted by BlackJackal
My theory is that if we could cool an item to below absolute zero that we would create anti-matter. You reach the point where all atoms cease to move and go beyond I beleive once you go beyond the atoms start to operate in reverse causing anti-matter.

Hmm, actually, having thought about this a bit more, I have a degree (oops, no pun intended) more appreciation of this theory now. I wouldn't go so far as to agree with reverse thing causing 'anti-matter', but (and it might just be sematics) but, if one could actually reach AZ, then what would actually happen to the stuff involved ?

Clearly it's properties would alter, possibly to as yet, 'unkonwn' or 'new' states - if a system has no energy, what actually happens to it's atomic structure, surely the shell cannot 'collapse' as that would require, and produce energy (or mass), so what other options remain then - is it left as an inert lump of whatever it was, or of a lump of something new, or does it simply cease to exist ... (See, maybe it's just semantics after all - is the opposite of 'matter', 'anti-matter', or is it the absence of matter [or energy come to that] ?) ...

Hence the fact that it's a theoretical limit I guess.

(This arguement could just as easily involve the entropy in entirely anti-matter scenaio's too, I'd say) ...

not to sure what i'm gettig at here but in order to reach AZ, wouldn't you need to take 'time' into consideration?

Originally posted by DarkSide
matter and antimatter particles have opposite electrical charges

True, that is an easier explanation, although not completely accurate. Neutral particles can have antimatter counterparts. When larger particles collide with their antimatter opposite, they actually degrade an atomic level.

atom, antimatter atom -> collision -> quarks, leptons

An electron's opposite is a positron (opposite charge). However, a lepton such as a photon is neutral and has an antimatter particle as well.

Just thought I'd clarify.

Originally posted by armorris
not to sure what i'm gettig at here but in order to reach AZ, wouldn't you need to take 'time' into consideration?

Time IS the movement of three dimensional objects, but over time the object, if it did reach absolute zero, would appear to stop moving (because it has stopped moving). Would it drop out of the timeline? I doubt it. Would it reverse in time? Doubt it.

One thought I just had is that if it lost all of its energy, assuming the potential energy is also lost, the particle would probably either annihilate or decay into the its smallest possible form. Just a guess. It is hard to stay together when you have no energy holding you together. Get my point? Weak and strong nuclear forces are gone.

Maybe I'm going to far with that idea. I'll think it over some more.