Creating Matter from Photons: Proton-Antiproton Bias?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the creation of proton-antiproton pairs from photons in laboratory settings, highlighting a potential bias towards matter over antimatter that may have originated from the Big Bang. It questions whether galaxies, particularly those with relativistic jets, function as "proton factories" where most pairs annihilate, but some protons survive due to this bias. The conversation also touches on the lack of current physics models explaining this matter-antimatter asymmetry and mentions the proposal of a photon-photon collider to experimentally investigate this phenomenon.

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  • Understanding of particle physics concepts, specifically proton-antiproton pair production.
  • Familiarity with the Big Bang theory and matter-antimatter asymmetry.
  • Knowledge of relativistic jets and their role in astrophysics.
  • Awareness of experimental physics techniques, particularly photon-photon colliders.
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  • Research the mechanisms of proton-antiproton pair production from photons.
  • Explore the implications of matter-antimatter asymmetry in cosmology.
  • Investigate the role of relativistic jets in galaxy formation and evolution.
  • Learn about the design and objectives of photon-photon colliders in experimental physics.
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Astrophysicists, particle physicists, and researchers interested in the fundamental asymmetries of the universe and experimental methods to explore them.

Peter 99
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Given sufficient energy a proton/antiproton pair can be created from photons in the laboratory.

Does the (apparently) slight bias exhibited in the big bang apply to the laboratory? In other words, the universe is seemingly not made of antimatter, only "matter."

Pushing this idea further, is each galaxy creating protons at its center from photons where most pairs immediately annihilate but due to the bias some protons do not annihilate? Almost every galaxy has a relativistic jet. Are quasars giant proton factories?

Would the bias toward "matter" and against "antimatter" have survived the big bang?
 
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I don't think anyone knows why there is a bias towards matter. There's nothing in the most current models of physics (that I know of) that provides an explanation.

As far as when this bias was created, or if it still exists, I again think very little is known, but if there is still a bias, then we should be able to detect it experimentally.

In fact I think there's at least talk of building a photon-photon collider to try and generate matter-antimatter pairs, and see this asymmetry first hand.
http://www.nature.com/nphoton/journal/v8/n6/full/nphoton.2014.95.html

It certainly would be a fascinating project, when someone does it.
 
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