Question about gasses temperature

Palomar · 2004-11-29 00:18:49

*Does anyone here know what the actual or estimated temperature is for the hottest gas(ses) in the universe? I saw (while Googling) a reference to 8000 Kelvin being the hottest temperature yet measured for interstellar gas. (Yes, I realize it may depend on what type of gas...but I mean "in general").

I've read various articles pertaining to gasses within or surrounding various celestial entities which are said to be billions of degrees hot (whether Fahrenheit or Celsius I can't recall). No mention is made as to a "ceiling" as temps go.

?

Just curious. And if there's no definite answer, then what's the theoretical limit (if any) as to how hot gasses can become?

(And thanks to Shaun and Graeme for answering my other question earlier this week, pertaining to wind speeds in the other thread).

--Cindy

Shaun Barrett · 2004-11-29 01:25:44

Apparently, no one's 100% certain of the theoretical maximum temperature of matter. It depends to some extent on whether the Standard Model of physics is complete and, if it's not, and if there are more and more massive sub-atomic particles produced as ever-increasing energy is applied to a system, then the maximum may be relatively low - a few trillion degrees!
On the other hand, if quarks are the end of the trail, and injecting more and more energy into a system goes to increasing the kinetic energy of the particles, rather than the creation of more massive ones, the theoretical temperature can be very much higher - as high as 10^32 degrees Kelvin.

According to http://www.astronomycafe.net/qadir/q804.html]THIS ARTICLE :-

The thermal energy is then free to increase practically without limit until you eventually end up creating 'quantum black holes'. This happens at a temperature of 10^32 Kelvin; that's 1 followed by 32 zeros! Once you produce quantum black holes, you have reached what many theoreticians believe is the end of the road for physics as we know it. Here, spacetime itself dissolves into a witches' brew of quantum worm holes, black holes, multi-dimensional superstrings and twistors. Most theories of the early universe give this temperature as a true limiting temperature for physics in the universe.

I'm not sure if this was what you were looking for, Cindy, but it's mind-boggling stuff just the same!

Euler · 2004-11-29 02:00:45

When gasses get very hot they tend to ionize and turn into plasmas. I do not know the maximum temperature that the gasses can achieve before this happens, but it might be close to 8000 K. The "gasses" that are billions of degrees are actually plasmas.

GraemeSkinner · 2004-11-29 02:43:08

I think it depends on the type of gas as to what temperature it converts to plasma (I should remember this, I think my brains developed a leak).
Stars with temperatures over 25,000 K have been recorded on the http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/teach … ng-Russell Diagram
As far as the hottest temperature recorded (gas/plasma) perhaps the NGC 2440 nucleus at 200,000 degrees C is the winner http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951130.html]LINK.

Graeme

Shaun Barrett · 2004-11-29 04:53:59

You'll notice I avoided the gas/plasma question by using the word "matter".

You're not as fast on your feet when you get older, so you have to plan ahead! :;): :laugh:

GraemeSkinner · 2004-11-29 05:02:25

One of the physics text books I was looking at a while ago stated plasma was a gas with molecules in a more excited state. Then another book classified plasma as a state of matter in its own right. So I just put gas/plasma in this case and let people make their own minds up

Graeme

Palomar · 2004-11-29 17:57:43

*Hey guys, thanks for the answers!

Yeah, I can relate to tip-toeing around specific words when (trying to) discuss stuff like this. Speaking strictly for myself: I'm completely aware of my being an amateur astronomer at times like these. :-\ Gets tricky -- how smart/knowledgeable can I sound without inadvertently tripping up and saying something really stupid by mistake.

--Cindy :;):

GraemeSkinner · 2004-11-29 23:23:34

Yeah, I can relate to tip-toeing around specific words when (trying to) discuss stuff like this. Speaking strictly for myself: I'm completely aware of my being an amateur astronomer at times like these. :-\ Gets tricky -- how smart/knowledgeable can I sound without inadvertently tripping up and saying something really stupid by mistake.

I think most of us are amateur here, so tripping up on terminology is easily done. Yesterday I took a book to work, on stellar evolution, the preface was excellent, as was the first two pages of chapter one - then the mathematics and terminology went so far over my head that it really was stellar :;): It reminded me how much I still have to learn to be able to understand astronomy & physics. Still at least I had eight hours at work to try and understand chapter 1

Graeme

MarsDog · 2004-11-30 03:18:52

No mention is made as to a "ceiling" as temps go

At each phase transition, energy is absorbed (ice, water, steam).
The breakup continues into individual atoms, and smaller particles.

Some extreme temperatures given:

http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Sci … ang.htm]At this stage the temperature is about 100 billion Kelvin

http://space.mit.edu/~nss/neutron.html]the temperature of the forming compact remnant reaches several 100 Billion degrees

Is there a temperature, at which, all matter breaks up ?

Palomar · 2004-11-30 10:30:01

Yeah, I can relate to tip-toeing around specific words when (trying to) discuss stuff like this. Speaking strictly for myself: I'm completely aware of my being an amateur astronomer at times like these. :-\ Gets tricky -- how smart/knowledgeable can I sound without inadvertently tripping up and saying something really stupid by mistake.
I think most of us are amateur here, so tripping up on terminology is easily done. Yesterday I took a book to work, on stellar evolution, the preface was excellent, as was the first two pages of chapter one - then the mathematics and terminology went so far over my head that it really was stellar :;): It reminded me how much I still have to learn to be able to understand astronomy & physics. Still at least I had eight hours at work to try and understand chapter 1
Graeme

*That reminds me of the 7th grade and a book the teacher had in a book closet in the room about Einstein's Theory of Relativity. I'd heard of it, of course; had read some comments and etc. about it. Figuring it was a book explaining the theory, I picked it up.

And about 10 minutes later put it back. LOL.

It was THE Theory of Relativity, and may as well have had the book upside down and printed in Japanese. :-\

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2004-11-30 11:12:35

Well Electronics design component data books are a lot like what you all have been describing and even more so when you get into the dynamics of the individual components at the nano size construction. Even the little bit that I have been working with Lasers with respect to optical wave length, power level, collimation of beam and just in general how a laser produces the light is enough sometimes to make my head spin.

John Creighton · 2004-11-30 11:23:24

Oh yeah the hottest part of a sun is the atmosphere. The photons are packed so tight that I think it takes them years to get out. The keep bumping into each other until they find their way out.

GraemeSkinner · 2004-12-01 22:48:22

Even the little bit that I have been working with Lasers with respect to optical wave length, power level, collimation of beam and just in general how a laser produces the light is enough sometimes to make my head spin.

I spent a year studying light/optical systems/fraunhofer diffraction patterns http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hb … .html]*FUN OR WHAT* my favourite part of the course was firing up the laser and making a hologram - it almost made the equations worthwhile doing :;):

Graeme

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#1 2004-11-29 00:18:49

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