Well, basically all of the particles in the visible universe came from the end of inflation. During inflation, the universe was dominated by a form of matter that acted rather like a cosmological constant due to its properties. Everything that we see in our current universe started from a patch of this inflating stuff that was much, much smaller than the nucleus of an atom.cam875 said:I understand that it is said that the universe is expanding and all that but where did all the matter come from that exists, did it all come from a single point particle or is there another theory for this. It seems like one of those questions that it is still under investigation heavily by cosmologists.
Well, right. When you smack two photons together that have a center-of-momentum energy greater than twice the mass of the electron, they'll annihilate with one another to produce an electron-positron pair. If they have still more energy, they can produce heavier particle/anti-particle pairs.cam875 said:so basically extremely high energy photons will turn into fundamental particles?
Well, you certainly can't accelerate a photon in the same way you can accelerate charged particles. But you can add energy to an electromagnetic field, so much so that, on occasion, you get pair production. This will happen, for instance, if you charge up a capacitor to extreme levels so that the electric field between the plates is so large that some of the photons occasionally have energies high enough to produce electron/positron pairs.cam875 said:technically you can't accelerate a photon since its speed is constant.
Particle creation is the process by which particles, such as protons, neutrons, and electrons, are formed in the universe. These particles are the building blocks of matter and are created through various physical processes, such as nuclear fusion and radioactive decay.
Particle creation helps us understand the early stages of the universe and how it evolved over time. By studying the properties and behavior of particles, scientists can gain insights into the fundamental forces and processes that shaped the universe and led to the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets.
Particle accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider, are commonly used to create particles in a controlled environment. These machines accelerate particles to high speeds and collide them together, mimicking the conditions of the early universe. Other methods include nuclear reactions and particle decay processes.
Yes, there are many practical applications of particle creation. For example, nuclear reactors use controlled particle reactions to generate electricity. Particle accelerators are also used in medical imaging and cancer treatment. Additionally, studying particle creation can lead to new technologies and advancements in fields such as materials science and energy production.
Scientists are currently studying the properties of particles, such as dark matter and antimatter, to gain a deeper understanding of the universe's origins. They are also working on developing more powerful and advanced particle accelerators to recreate conditions that existed in the early universe. Additionally, research is being conducted on the potential use of particle creation in fields such as fusion energy and space exploration.