Is the overall charge of the universe positive, negative, or neutral?

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter darkar
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Charge Universe
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the overall charge of the universe, exploring whether it is positive, negative, or neutral. Participants examine the implications of charge conservation and the challenges of defining charge in the context of the universe's structure and behavior.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that there is no evidence of a charged universe and that mainstream astronomy operates under the assumption that gravity is the only force acting at astronomical distances.
  • It is suggested that testing whether the universe is exactly neutral is virtually impossible, with the discovery of a reaction where charge is not conserved potentially indicating otherwise.
  • One participant raises the complexity of defining total charge in a multiply connected universe and mentions that General Relativity complicates the notion of positive or negative charge.
  • Another participant discusses the creation of particles and antiparticles, suggesting that discrepancies in their expected quantities raise questions about charge conservation and matter-antimatter symmetry.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the implications of charge conservation and the overall charge of the universe, with no consensus reached on whether the universe is neutral, positive, or negative.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight limitations in defining charge due to the universe's structure and the challenges posed by General Relativity, as well as the unresolved nature of particle-antiparticle asymmetry.

darkar
Messages
187
Reaction score
0
Is there any indication that the overall charge of universe is postitive, negative or neutral?
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
There is no evidence of a charged universe of which I am aware. Mainstream astronomy assumes with considerably success that the only force acting at astronomical distances is gravity.
 
darkar said:
Is there any indication that the overall charge of universe is postitive, negative or neutral?

It would be virtually impossible to test whether the universe is exactly neutral, though I suppose the discovery of a reaction in which charge is not conserved would strongly suggest that it isn't. I'm pretty sure no such reaction has been observed.
 
So, this imply that the universe is neutral?
 
If the universe was multiply connected, it would be even harder to define the total charge.

Also General Relativity makes it hard to give a universal definition of positive or negative.
 
It would be virtually impossible to test whether the universe is exactly neutral, though I suppose the discovery of a reaction in which charge is not conserved would strongly suggest that it isn't. I'm pretty sure no such reaction has been observed.

I thought I had heared that on (don't no the exact value for X, but it is very big) X particles there are created Y anti particles where Y<X and nobody knows where these anti particles are that should be there.
 
Kruger said:
I thought I had heared that on (don't no the exact value for X, but it is very big) X particles there are created Y anti particles where Y<X and nobody knows where these anti particles are that should be there.

Violation of matter-antimatter symmetry doesn't necessarily imply violation of charge conservation, but yes, there is a question about why there's more matter in the universe than antimatter.
 

Similar threads

Undergrad What is the net charge on the Earth?
  • · Replies 42 ·
2
Replies
42
Views
6K
Undergrad Parallel plate capacitor, charge imbalance VS charge redistribution
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Graduate Is the Universe neutrally charged?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Which one is correct statement regarding lightning?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
Undergrad Gravity at large scales: force hierarchy or charge cancellation?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
595
High School Is there some electrical charge that is neither positive nor negative?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
High School Thought Experiment on Charge Carriers and Electrical Conduction
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
Graduate Charge to mass ratio of a photon
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K
Undergrad Conservation of charge in the Universe
  • · Replies 24 ·
Replies
24
Views
3K
High School Electric Field Direction: Are We Assuming a Universal Positive Frame?
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
3K