Matter and Antimatter: Why Did Matter Dominate?

In summary, Matter and antimatter are equally created in the early universe, but the resulting universe is dominated by matter due to a slight imbalance in their creation. The exact reasons for this imbalance, known as the matter-antimatter asymmetry, are still unknown and considered one of the biggest mysteries in physics. The leading explanation is the violation of CP-symmetry in certain events. The only other difference between matter and antimatter is the parity and parity-charge asymmetry in weak interactions, which leads to slightly different properties. However, these differences are extremely small and cannot be observed in most systems.
  • #1
joychandra
9
0
As matter & antimatter are equally created in the early universe , then why matter dominated over antimatter. Please suggest any possible answer
 
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  • #2
They're not equally created. Slightly more matter was created the resulted in the universe we see today.

No-one truly understand the reasons why matter had a slightly larger abundance. This is (at this present time) beyond the scope of observational capabilities.
 
  • #3
I believe your question is one of the largest unsolved 'mysteries' in physics today. So don't expect an answer anytime soon hehe.
 
  • #4
joychandra said:
As matter & antimatter are equally created in the early universe , then why matter dominated over antimatter. Please suggest any possible answer

The leading candidate for the explanation on the matter-antimatter imbalance is the CP violation in certain events, such as in kaon decay.

http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/17755

Zz.
 
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  • #5
What are the differences between matter and antimatter. I know they have same spin, same mass and opposite charge. Does there are any other minute differences? Please mention.
 
  • #6
Basically there are no differences except for the opposite charge (you've already mentioned).

There is one exception, namely the parity and parity-charge asymmetry of the weak interaction. Due to the violation of the P- and CP-symmetry matter and antimatter have slightly different properties. Lifetime of some particles and antiparticles may differ slightly. This effect is extremely small and was observed in neutral K- and B-meson decays. For all other systems matter and antimatter have identical properties (which means that differences may exist but are too small to be visible in experiments).
 
  • #7
tom.stoer said:
Lifetime of some particles and antiparticles may differ slightly.

Not so. Lifetimes of particles and antiparticles are the same. CPT assures this. What can be different are branching fractions.
 

1. What is matter and antimatter?

Matter and antimatter are two types of particles that make up the universe. Matter is made up of particles such as protons, neutrons, and electrons, while antimatter is made up of particles with the same mass but opposite charge, such as antiprotons, antineutrons, and positrons.

2. Why is there more matter than antimatter in the universe?

This is still a mystery in the scientific community. The Big Bang theory predicts that equal amounts of matter and antimatter should have been created during the formation of the universe. However, for some reason, there was a slight imbalance in favor of matter, leading to the dominance of matter in the universe.

3. How do scientists study matter and antimatter?

Scientists study matter and antimatter by creating them in particle accelerators and observing their interactions. They also study the properties of these particles through experiments and theories, such as the Standard Model of particle physics.

4. What are the potential applications of antimatter?

Antimatter has the potential to be used as a powerful energy source and in medical imaging techniques. However, it is currently very difficult and expensive to produce and store antimatter, so further research and advances are needed before it can be used in practical applications.

5. How does the discovery of the Higgs boson relate to matter and antimatter?

The discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012 helped to explain why particles have mass. It also provided evidence for the existence of a field that gives particles their mass, which could have played a role in the imbalance between matter and antimatter in the early universe.

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