Chinese scientists reach record temperature in experiment at space station

Chinese scientists have achieved a record low temperature of 9.7 picokelvin in an experiment aboard the Tiangong space station. This breakthrough was made in the ultracold atom physics laboratory located in the Mengtian module. The team maintained the rubidium atom cloud at this temperature for seven seconds using optical trapping techniques. This new record surpasses the previous 38 picokelvin achieved by a German team in 2021. The microgravity conditions of Tiangong facilitated this cooling process, allowing for better observation of atomic behavior. The research aims to explore phenomena difficult to study at normal temperatures and may contribute to understanding dark matter and the early universe.