In defence of negative temperature

Abstract

This pedagogical comment highlights three misconceptions concerning the usefulness of the concept of negative temperature; being derived from the usual, often termed Boltzmann, definition of entropy. First, both the Boltzmann and Gibbs entropies must obey the same thermodynamic consistency relation. Second, the Boltzmann entropy does obey the second law of thermodynamics. Third, there exists an integrating factor of the heat differential with both definitions of entropy.

6 pages. Second version. Updated and polished

References in corpus (7)

• Negative Absolute Temperature for Motional Degrees of Freedom
• Gibbs, Boltzmann, and negative temperatures
• Construction of microcanonical entropy on thermodynamic pillars
• System-size scaling of Boltzmann and alternate Gibbs entropies
• The Gibbs "volume" entropy is incorrect
• The thermodynamic entropy of a macroscopic quantum system is a continuous function of energy
• Thermodynamic laws in isolated systems

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Efficiency of a quantum Otto heat engine operating under a reservoir at effective negative temperatures
• On the dispute between Boltzmann and Gibbs entropy
• Isotropic-Nematic Phase Transitions in Gravitational Systems
• Phase transitions at high energy vindicate negative microcanonical temperature
• Isotropic-Nematic Phase Transitions in Gravitational Systems II: Higher Order Multipoles
• Resonant relaxation in globular clusters
• Origin of Negative Temperatures in Systems Interacting with External Fields
• Negative temperature is cool for cooling
• Internal temperature of quantum chaotic systems at the nanoscale and its detection by a microscopic thermometer
• Resolving the debate about proposed expressions for the classical entropy