On Negative Mass, Partition Function and Entropy

TL;DR

This paper explores the theoretical implications of negative mass by analyzing different approaches to ensure the convergence of the partition function, highlighting the potential physical plausibility of imaginary velocity over negative temperature.

Contribution

It introduces a novel perspective by comparing negative temperature and imaginary velocity methods for negative mass systems, emphasizing the physical plausibility of the latter.

Findings

Imaginary velocity approach yields positive partition function and real entropy.

Negative temperature approach results in imaginary partition function and complex entropy.

Imaginary velocity may provide more physically plausible results for negative mass systems.

Abstract

This work examines some aspects related to the existence of negative mass. The requirement for the partition function to converge leads to two distinct approaches. Initially, convergence is achieved by assuming a negative absolute temperature, which results in an imaginary partition function and complex entropy. Subsequently, convergence is maintained by keeping the absolute temperature positive while introducing an imaginary velocity. This modification leads to a positive partition function and real entropy. It seems the utilization of imaginary velocity may yield more plausible physical results compared to the use of negative temperature, at least for the partition function and entropy.