Planck temperature
Encyclopedia
Planck temperature is the greatest physically-possible temperature, according the set of theories proposed by the German
physicist
Max Planck
. It's part of a system of five natural units
known as Planck units
, based on universal physical constants.
It also serves to defining unit of the Planck temperature scale. In this scale the Planck temperature = 1, absolute zero
= 0, and all other temperatures are some decimal of TP.
For example, 0°C = 1.928 × 10-30TP.
=
1.416833(85) × 1032
K
where:
The two digits between the parentheses
denote the standard error
of the last two digits of the estimated value.
, in combination with gravitation
, as presently understood. At temperatures greater than or equal to TP, current physical theory breaks down because we lack a theory of quantum gravity
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
Max Planck
Max Planck
Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck, ForMemRS, was a German physicist who actualized the quantum physics, initiating a revolution in natural science and philosophy. He is regarded as the founder of the quantum theory, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918.-Life and career:Planck came...
. It's part of a system of five natural units
Natural units
In physics, natural units are physical units of measurement based only on universal physical constants. For example the elementary charge e is a natural unit of electric charge, or the speed of light c is a natural unit of speed...
known as Planck units
Planck units
In physics, Planck units are physical units of measurement defined exclusively in terms of five universal physical constants listed below, in such a manner that these five physical constants take on the numerical value of 1 when expressed in terms of these units. Planck units elegantly simplify...
, based on universal physical constants.
It also serves to defining unit of the Planck temperature scale. In this scale the Planck temperature = 1, absolute zero
Absolute zero
Absolute zero is the theoretical temperature at which entropy reaches its minimum value. The laws of thermodynamics state that absolute zero cannot be reached using only thermodynamic means....
= 0, and all other temperatures are some decimal of TP.
For example, 0°C = 1.928 × 10-30TP.
Definition
The Planck temperature is defined as: =1.416833(85) × 1032
Orders of magnitude (temperature)
-Detailed list for 100 K to 1000 K:Most ordinary human activity takes place at temperatures of this order of magnitude. Circumstances where water naturally occurs in liquid form are shown in light grey.-External links:*...
K
Kelvin
The kelvin is a unit of measurement for temperature. It is one of the seven base units in the International System of Units and is assigned the unit symbol K. The Kelvin scale is an absolute, thermodynamic temperature scale using as its null point absolute zero, the temperature at which all...
where:
- mP = the Planck mass
- c = speed of lightSpeed of lightThe speed of light in vacuum, usually denoted by c, is a physical constant important in many areas of physics. Its value is 299,792,458 metres per second, a figure that is exact since the length of the metre is defined from this constant and the international standard for time...
in a vacuum 
is the reduced Planck constant defined as 
- k = Boltzmann constant
- G = Gravitational constantGravitational constantThe gravitational constant, denoted G, is an empirical physical constant involved in the calculation of the gravitational attraction between objects with mass. It appears in Newton's law of universal gravitation and in Einstein's theory of general relativity. It is also known as the universal...
The two digits between the parentheses
Bracket
Brackets are tall punctuation marks used in matched pairs within text, to set apart or interject other text. In the United States, "bracket" usually refers specifically to the "square" or "box" type.-List of types:...
denote the standard error
Standard error (statistics)
The standard error is the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of a statistic. The term may also be used to refer to an estimate of that standard deviation, derived from a particular sample used to compute the estimate....
of the last two digits of the estimated value.
Significance
As for most other Planck units, a Planck temperature of 1 (unity) is a fundamental limit of quantum theoryQuantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
, in combination with gravitation
Gravitation
Gravitation, or gravity, is a natural phenomenon by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to their mass. Gravitation is most familiar as the agent that gives weight to objects with mass and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped...
, as presently understood. At temperatures greater than or equal to TP, current physical theory breaks down because we lack a theory of quantum gravity
Quantum gravity
Quantum gravity is the field of theoretical physics which attempts to develop scientific models that unify quantum mechanics with general relativity...
.
See also
- Absolute hotAbsolute hotAbsolute hot is a concept of temperature that postulates the existence of a highest attainable temperature of matter. The idea has been popularized by the television series Nova...
- Hagedorn temperatureHagedorn temperatureThe Hagedorn temperature in theoretical physics is the temperature above which the partition sum diverges in a system with exponential growth in the density of states. It is named after German physicist Rolf Hagedorn.Phase transitions The Hagedorn temperature in theoretical physics is the...
- Orders of magnitude (temperature)Orders of magnitude (temperature)-Detailed list for 100 K to 1000 K:Most ordinary human activity takes place at temperatures of this order of magnitude. Circumstances where water naturally occurs in liquid form are shown in light grey.-External links:*...
- Planck constantPlanck constantThe Planck constant , also called Planck's constant, is a physical constant reflecting the sizes of energy quanta in quantum mechanics. It is named after Max Planck, one of the founders of quantum theory, who discovered it in 1899...
- Planck units