That estimate comes from comparing the total amount of energy in the universe with the total amount of matter. If we assume that matter and antimatter were created in approximately equal amounts at the big bang, and then all the antimatter annihilated with matter to produce energy... we conclude that the universe started out with one billion and one particles for every billion antiparticles (which certainly qualifies as "approximately equal amounts") and then the antiparticles and particles paired off and annihilated leaving behind only the extra one in a billion particle - and these make up all the matter we observe.KarminValso1724 said:I have heard before that for every 1 billion antiparticles there are 1 billion and 1 particles of normal matter. Has this been observed directly or just predicted? Have we only observed antimatter through its creation on earth?
That is a good question for which, as far as I know, science doesn't have a completely satisfying answer. However, you'll find better answers over in the Cosmology subforum where the people who are up to date on this stuff hang out.mrspeedybob said:Why wouldn't the matter / antimatter production be exactly equal?
We don't assume it, we infer it from the amount of energy that we observe. If for every particle we find energy sufficient for one billion particle/anti-particle pairs, that leads to the billion-plus-one to billion ratio OP is asking about.And if wasn't exactly equal, why would we presume that it was approximately equal?
We have calculated rates of particle and anti-particle creation shortly after the big bang, so we know (very roughly - that "one billion" number is not exactly a rigorously specified quantity) how many particles had to have disappeared in annihilations.mrspeedybob said:But why do we think the energy came from particle/antiparticle annihilation? Why does it make more sense to say there were 2 billion + 1 particles and 2 billion of them annihilated to become energy, instead of saying there was 2 billion +1 units of energy and 1 of them condensed into a particle? Or maybe 3 of them condensed and 2 annihilated, which would make matter/antimatter production 2 to 1. Or really pick any ratio?
Antimatter is a form of matter that is composed of antiparticles, which have the opposite charge and other properties of their corresponding particles in regular matter. When matter and antimatter come into contact, they annihilate each other, releasing large amounts of energy.
Antimatter was first predicted by theoretical physicist Paul Dirac in the 1920s. It was later confirmed to exist through experiments in particle accelerators, which produce both matter and antimatter particles. The properties of antimatter have been extensively studied and it has been shown to behave exactly as predicted by theoretical models.
Yes, there is evidence that antimatter existed in the early universe. The Big Bang theory predicts that equal amounts of matter and antimatter were created in the early stages of the universe. However, as the universe expanded and cooled, most of the antimatter particles and their corresponding matter particles annihilated each other, leaving behind the small excess of matter that we see today.
One way to study antimatter in the early universe is through observations of distant galaxies and cosmic rays. Scientists can also create and study antimatter particles in laboratories, such as the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland.
Studying antimatter in the early universe can help us understand the origins and evolution of the universe. It can also provide insights into the fundamental laws of physics and the nature of matter. Additionally, studying antimatter can have practical applications in fields such as medical imaging and energy production.