Open problem of classical representation of neutral antimatter bodies?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the representation of neutral antimatter bodies, such as planets or stars, within the frameworks of special and general relativity. Participants explore the implications of antimatter in classical physics, particularly in relation to gravitational interactions and the treatment of matter versus antimatter.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant asks how to represent a neutral antimatter body in the context of special and general relativity.
  • Another participant questions the meaning of "represent a body" and requests clarification on how a regular matter body is represented in relativity.
  • It is suggested that relativity does not differentiate between matter and antimatter, implying that a neutral antimatter body would be treated similarly to a neutral matter body.
  • Concerns are raised about the implications of classical representations of neutral antimatter, particularly regarding gravitational interactions and the concept of gravitational repulsion between matter and antimatter.
  • Some participants assert that relativity focuses on energy density, which is the same for both matter and antimatter, and that any gravitational repulsion would contradict established principles of physics.
  • References to external sources and discussions in popular science media are made, suggesting that there is ongoing interest and investigation into the gravitational properties of antimatter.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the OP's understanding of the topic and suggests that further discussion may not be fruitful.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the treatment of antimatter in classical physics, with some asserting that it should be treated like matter, while others raise concerns about potential gravitational anomalies. The discussion remains unresolved, with no consensus reached on the implications of representing neutral antimatter bodies.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the lack of established classical representations for neutral antimatter and highlight the need for further exploration of gravitational interactions, particularly in light of claims regarding matter-antimatter repulsion.

Collider
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Can anybody please tell me how to represent a neutral antimatter body such as a planet or a star in the classical formulation of special and general relativities?

Thanks.
 
Physics news on Phys.org


Welcome to PF;
What do you mean by "represent a ... body"?
eg. can you show me how you would represent a regular matter body in SR and GR?

iirc: SR is about relative motion, and GR is about gravity - in a nutshell.
 


Relativity does not care about matter <-> antimatter. It would be exactly like a neutral body made out of matter.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Larry Pendarvis


Simon Bridge said:
Welcome to PF;
What do you mean by "represent a ... body"?
eg. can you show me how you would represent a regular matter body in SR and GR?

iirc: SR is about relative motion, and GR is about gravity - in a nutshell.

Newton's equation, Galileo's Relativity, and Einstein's relativities deal with a body constituted by matter with a given mass m.

The only classical conjugation into anti-matter that I know of is the sign of the charge but I am interested in Newton's equation of motion or Einstein gravitation of a neutral anti-matter body that has no charge.

Does this make the entire 20th century of science inapplicable for a classical representation of neutral anti-matter?

I raise the question because I have seen on various websites the treatment of a matter-anti-matter gravitational repulsion. I have trouble accepting them unless I see a classical representation of the gravitational field of a neutral antimatter astrophysical body.
 


Charge is just one of the quantum numbers which are inverted for antimatter, there are more. But it does not matter: relativity cares about the energy density only, and that is the same both for matter and antimatter.
See my previous post: It would be exactly like a neutral body made out of matter.

I raise the question because I have seen on various websites the treatment of a matter-anti-matter gravitational repulsion.
It is expected that antimatter and matter attract each other, and anything else would be a huge surprise. It would require serious modifications to relativity, and allow a violation of energy conservation and similar things.
 


It's the way to bet isn't it?

OP is probably thinking about stuff like:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_interaction_of_antimatter
http://www.phy.duke.edu/~phillips/gravity/frameIndex.html

National Geographic ran a pop-sci article in Feb 2012 titled: Is Dark Energy Really "Repulsive Gravity"? citing and quoting Massimo Villata, "an astrophysicist at the Observatory of Turin in Italy".

Investigating that last one turns up stuff like:
Villata M. (2012) "Dark energy" in the Local Void... a "letter to the editor" in Astrophysics and Space Science, which is cited by
by Hajdukovic D. S. (2013) Can observations inside the Solar System reveal the gravitational properties of the quantum vacuum?, Astrophysics and Space Science, February 2013, Volume 343, Issue 2, pp 505-509
... who propose a test.

afaik, there is no special reason to suspect antimatter has anti-gravity except perhaps that the prefix "anti" appears in both the names.
 


The OP isn't thinking of stuff like that, and as the OP won't be back, there's not much point in continuing trying to answer his questions.
 

Similar threads

Graduate CPT symmetry and antimatter gravity in general relativity
  • · Replies 34 ·
2
Replies
34
Views
5K
Undergrad Physical reality of nontrivial loops in SO(3)
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Undergrad I made an N-body simulation program
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Graduate Were there any valid classical unified field theories ?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Graduate GBAR Experiment (CERN) - Genève
  • · Replies 31 ·
2
Replies
31
Views
2K
Undergrad Why is it Impossible to Solve the Three Body Problem Analytically?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
6K
My inspirational epic -- Enjoy, correct and criticize to your heart's content
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
High School Why is the 3 body problem unsolvable? And what will happen if someone solves it?
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
3K
Undergrad New Wired article on "where's the antimatter"
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
Graduate Exploring Infinitesimal Rotations in Classical Mechanics
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K