The Big Bang: Light Before Matter?

[taylor__hasty]

So I'm reading this book called "Origins" by Neil Tyson and in the beginning of the book he was talking about matter and antimatter and said "had this matter over antimatter asymmetry not emerged, the expanding universe would forever be composed of light and nothing he else".

Now, I know I'm very ignorant in science (but I'm trying to learn more) but from what I thought, light was caused from electrons changing levels. If no electrons existed yet, how was their light?


(Please excuse my ignorance on the subject :P)

Thanks!
:D

 

[Dale]

That isn't the only source of light. In this case, the anhillation of matter and anti-matter also produces light.

 

[Drakkith]

To elaborate, EM radiation, aka Light, is caused by the acceleration of charges, charged particles changing energy levels, annihilation events, and high energy collisions.

 

[jfizzix]

When matter and antimatter collide, they annihiliate one another, and their energy is converted to gamma rays, which is just a high frequency form of light.

 

[sardar]

I can understand your confusion about light existing before matter in the context of the Big Bang. However, it is important to understand that the concept of light in the early universe is different from the light we experience in our everyday lives.

In the early universe, the conditions were extremely hot and dense, and matter and energy were constantly interacting and transforming into each other. This process is known as particle-antiparticle annihilation, where a particle and its antiparticle collide and release energy in the form of photons (particles of light). This is how light was initially produced in the early universe.

As the universe expanded and cooled down, matter and antimatter started to dominate over each other, leading to the asymmetry mentioned in the book. This means that there was a slight excess of matter over antimatter, which allowed for the formation of matter structures like galaxies, stars, and ultimately, us.

So, in essence, light did exist before matter in the early universe, but it was not the same kind of light that we experience today. It was a result of the interactions between matter and antimatter, which eventually led to the formation of the matter-dominated universe we know today.

I hope this explanation helps clarify your doubts and encourages you to continue learning about the fascinating field of cosmology. Keep asking questions and seeking knowledge – that's what science is all about!