Quasars & Antimatter: Evidence of Abundance?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the potential abundance of antimatter in the universe, particularly in relation to quasars and their high-energy emissions. It argues that the lack of observed anomalies from matter-antimatter collisions suggests a near-balanced distribution of matter and antimatter is implausible locally. However, it raises the possibility that quasars, especially high-energy gamma emitters, could produce antimatter and contribute to the extreme energy levels observed in distant galaxies. Critics challenge this notion, citing that antimatter production would alter the expected emission spectrum and characteristics of quasars significantly. The conversation highlights ongoing debates about the role of antimatter in cosmic phenomena and its implications for understanding dark matter.
thebaron
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We know it is implausible that the local observable universe contains a near-balanced distribution of matter and antimatter because we fail to observe predicted anomalies of high-energy radiation brought about by spontaneous annihilation from matter-antimatter collisions on the borders of such antimatter regions. However, what about quasars, particularly high-energy gamma emitters? We may surmise that yes, this radiation is brought about by relativistic jets emitting Hawking radiation. But shouldn't the necessarily quantum nature of their production require at least some of this radiation to be composed of antimatter, at least in larger quantities than we observe locally? Combined with the fact we observe these severaly redshifted objects so far away, could we percieve this as evidence that antimatter may be more plentiful near the far fringes of the universe?
 
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Or perhaps a better articulation of what I mean is (tl;dr): could antimatter explain the ridiculous levels of energy we see in very distant and very active galaxies, and therefore account for a portion of very distant dark matter?
 
gravity is surprisingly good at producing 'ridiculous' amounts of energy without any help from antimatter.

quasars would be more likely to produce antimatter than consume it, in my unstudied opinion.
 
Yes, that is what I am saying. And antimatter-matter collisions on the border of these areas would emit the kind of energies we see.
 
thebaron said:
And antimatter-matter collisions on the border of these areas would emit the kind of energies we see.

Do you have any evidence for this? This sounds very unlikely to me - virtually everything would be different. The spectrum would be much harder, the durations would be much shorter, the area of emission would be more diffuse, and you wouldn't get jets.
 
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