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The heat death of the universe (also known as the Big Chill or Big Freeze) [1] [2] is a hypothesis on the ultimate fate of the universe, which suggests the universe will evolve to a state of no thermodynamic free energy, and will therefore be unable to sustain processes that increase entropy. Heat death does not imply any particular absolute ...
Heat death paradox is born of a paradigm resulting from fundamental ideas about the cosmos. It is necessary to change the paradigm to resolve the paradox. The paradox was based upon the rigid mechanical point of view of the second law of thermodynamics postulated by Rudolf Clausius and Lord Kelvin , according to which heat can only be ...
Over infinite time, there could be a spontaneous entropy decrease by the Poincaré recurrence theorem, thermal fluctuations, [20] [21] and the fluctuation theorem. [22] [23] The heat death scenario is compatible with any of the three spatial models, but it requires that the universe reaches an eventual temperature minimum. [24]
Although entropy does increase in the model of an expanding universe, the maximum possible entropy rises much more rapidly, moving the universe further from the heat death with time, not closer. [96] [97] [98] This results in an "entropy gap" pushing the system further away from the posited heat death equilibrium. [99]
The prevailing theory is that the universe will cool as it expands, eventually becoming too cold to sustain life. For this reason, this future scenario popularly called "Heat Death" is also known as the "Big Chill" or "Big Freeze". Some of the other popular theories include the Big Rip, Big Crunch, and the Big Bounce.
Research concerning the relationship between the thermodynamic quantity entropy and both the origin and evolution of life began around the turn of the 20th century. In 1910 American historian Henry Adams printed and distributed to university libraries and history professors the small volume A Letter to American Teachers of History proposing a theory of history based on the second law of ...
Consequently, the Clausius inequality was re-stated [62] so that it is applicable to cycles with processes involving any form of heat transfer. The entropy transfer with radiative fluxes is taken separately from that due to heat transfer by conduction and convection (), where the temperature is evaluated at the system boundary where the heat ...
Heat death may refer to: Heat death of the universe, a proposed cosmological event Heat death paradox, a philosophical examination of the cosmological event; Hyperthermia, injury up to and including death, from excessive heat; Thermal shock, the destruction of equipment by overheating; A Supernova, heat death of a star, along with the death of ...