Matter-Antimatter Asymmetry
ConceptAbout
The matter-antimatter asymmetry refers to the imbalance between matter and antimatter in the universe. According to the Big Bang theory, equal amounts of matter and antimatter should have been created in the early universe. However, today the universe is predominantly composed of matter, with very little antimatter observed. This asymmetry is puzzling because matter and antimatter particles annihilate each other when they come into contact, leaving behind pure energy. If matter and antimatter were created in equal amounts, the universe should have been left with only energy. The explanation for this asymmetry involves complex processes such as baryogenesis and leptogenesis. Baryogenesis requires certain conditions, including baryon number violation, CP violation, and departure from thermal equilibrium. Leptogenesis suggests that an initial lepton asymmetry could have been converted into a baryon asymmetry. Researchers continue to explore these mechanisms to understand the imbalance between matter and antimatter, with ongoing studies at facilities like the Large Hadron Collider aiming to uncover the underlying physics.
