What is the lowest pressure that could be obtained artificially?

Question

I am not talking about the pressure in outer space or something but I mean the lowest pressure obtained artificially.

Answer 1

These limits are being pushed mainly by condensed-matter physics experiments utilizing MBE (molecular beam epitaxy) and particle physics colliders.

The CERN ISR (Intersecting Storage Rings) achieved pressures below 10^-12 torr. Continuing research has led to small prototype vacuum chambers that go down to the order of 10^-14 torr. There may well be other experiments occurring in this pressure range, but measurement of the pressure itself is quite difficult below 10^-12 torr.

Answer 2

Hi. An oil diffusion furnace generates a good vacuum, but a really hard vacuum (low pressure) requires multi-stage mechanical and chemical systems. There is no limit if you have the time and money to put into making the effort. (The outer space answer which you do not want but which gives a good standard is about 1 hydrogen atom per cubic meter.)

Answer 3

Consider Bernoulli's equation:
P + 0.5dv^2 + dgh =constant where P = pressure, d=density, v=velocity, g=gravitational accelaration and h= height

If you put a very high value of v in that equation, P will be very low and can even go negative. This pressure is so low that even aeroplanes can get lifted up. If you rely merely on static pressure, maybe Dr Baz's answer is correct.

Check out this picture:
http://star.tau.ac.il/QUIZ/05/Bernoulli.jpg

Answer 4

The lowest pressure is no pressure. Which is a vacuum. We can artificially create vacuum so the answer to your question is zero pressure.

Answer 5

With a decent positive displacement vacuum pump, you can get down to the 10's of millitorr without too much effort. At work, we routinely draw 50 millitorr in a glass tube. You are pretty much limited by the quality of the hoses and interface seals.