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.