Early annihilation of antimatter

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the concept of antimatter annihilation at the universe's inception, specifically addressing the notion that positrons could be viewed as electrons moving backward in time. Participants clarify that while this analogy exists, it does not imply actual time travel, as no particles, including positrons, move backward in time. The fundamental principle that causes precede effects remains intact, reinforcing the idea that the annihilation of antimatter was a one-way process following the Big Bang.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of particle physics concepts, particularly antimatter and matter interactions.
  • Familiarity with the Big Bang theory and its implications for the universe's evolution.
  • Knowledge of quantum mechanics, especially the behavior of particles like electrons and positrons.
  • Basic grasp of causality in physics, particularly the relationship between cause and effect.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the mathematical relationships in quantum field theory, particularly regarding particle interactions.
  • Explore the implications of the Big Bang on matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe.
  • Study the principles of causality in physics and how they apply to particle physics.
  • Investigate advanced concepts in quantum mechanics, focusing on the behavior of antiparticles.
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, students of particle physics, and anyone interested in the foundational concepts of antimatter and the early universe will benefit from this discussion.

Jared409
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If a positron can be seen as an electron moving backwards in time technically, could it be that antimatter was annihilated near the beginning of the universe because it could go no further backwards in time that at the moment of the big bang, leaving only matter going forward in time?
 
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Jared409, I know the popular accounts say things like this, but nothing moves backwards in time, not even positrons. The present cannot influence the past. The cause must always precede the effect, and this applies even to antiparticles.

There is a mathematical relationship between a process which emits an electron into the final state and a process which absorbs a positron from the initial state but is otherwise the same. The relationship is useful in doing calculations, but should not be taken literally as time travel.
 
Okay, that's what I had heard once before, but I wasn't completely sure on the subject. Thanks for clearing that up for me!
 

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