Notes on heat engines and negative temperatures
Statistical Mechanics
2016-06-17 v1
Abstract
We show that a Carnot cycle operating between a positive canonical-temperature bath and a negative canonical-temperature bath has efficiency equal to unity. It follows that a negative canonical-temperature cannot be identified with an absolute temperature. We illustrate this with a spin in a varying magnetic field.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1606.05244,
title = {Notes on heat engines and negative temperatures},
author = {Michele Campisi},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1606.05244},
year = {2016}
}
Comments
2 pages, 1 figure. This self-standing material appeared in a early version of arXiv:1411.2425