<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> The heat death of the universe is a plausible ultimate fate of the universe in which the universe has diminished to a state of no thermodynamic free energy and therefore can no longer sustain processes that increase entropy . Heat death does not imply any particular absolute temperature; it only requires that temperature differences or other processes may no longer be exploited to perform work . In the language of physics, this is when the universe reaches thermodynamic equilibrium (maximum entropy). </P> <P> If the topology of the universe is open or flat, or if dark energy is a positive cosmological constant (both of which are supported by current data), the universe will continue expanding forever and a heat death is expected to occur, with the universe cooling to approach equilibrium at a very low temperature after a very long time period . </P>

The heat death of the universe is a theoretical time in the future when the universe is supposed to