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Article

Towards the absolute zero

DEC 01, 1979
Low‐temperature physicists are surpassing nature, using dilution refrigeration, Pomeranchuk cooling and nuclear demagnetization to investigate phenomena hitherto unknown in the universe.
Olli V. Lounasmaa

Low‐temperature physicists are constantly trying to extend the temperature range accessible to experimental investigations closer and closer to the absolute zero. While the third law of thermodynamics prevents their ever reaching 0 K, they have long since surpassed Nature herself. The temperature of the cosmic background radiation is 3 K; below 3 K, we are creating new physics, hitherto unknown to the universe. And this has been done without any large expenditures of manpower or equipment—the most sophisticated weapons at the cold frontier of physics are inexpensive indeed.

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References

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More about the authors

Olli V. Lounasmaa, Helsinki University of Technology.

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This Content Appeared In
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Volume 32, Number 12

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