LHC Has A Surprising Take On Matter Vs Antimatter
Traditional knowledge supports the theory that the Universe is made up of equal number of Matter and Anti-Matter. One would expect that eventually the matter and antimatter would cancel each other and if so, what did really create the universe, remains the biggest question. Physics' hunt for that special something has been on for long. Curious signs of the ideal reason seem to have hit the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland.
The standard model, allows for only tiny differences to occur between the behaviour of an antimatter and matter, including the decay rate. But #-Link-Snipped-# has turned up contradictory results to this theory. A surprisingly huge difference was found in the decay rates. The decay rates of short lived particles #-Link-Snipped-# were measured, which are pair of quarks, the fundamental constituent of matter.
#-Link-Snipped-#
Scientists studied the decays of a particlar type of #-Link-Snipped-# and its antimatter counterpart, the anti-D0. Both can decay into a pair of lighter mesons, making a Particle Creation plus an anti-pion or a #-Link-Snipped-# plus an anti-kaon. If the standard model is accurate, the starting particle shouldn't make a difference. The experimenters subtracted the number of pion plus anti-pion pairs produced by the D0 particles from those produced by the anti-D0 particles. Similarly for the pairs of kaons and anti-kaons. Then, they subtracted each of these results from the other. If the decay rates should be same, according to standard model, then the result produced should be zero. But that was not the case. A difference of 0.8 percent was found.
A concept to explain this is Supersymmetry (SUSY),  a theory that extends the standard model by adding in heavy super-partners for every known particle. The uncertainty principle allows them to exist as virtual particles which could influence the decay of standard particles, creating asymmetries between matter and antimatter.
SUSY also proves to be a fit  for the mysterious dark matter that holds galaxies together and appears to account for some 80 per cent of all matter. If further research hints of this asymmetry, then it is possible it could have had important effects in the early universe. This would explain why more matter than antimatter emerged from the big bang. Either way, Physics has some deep pondering to do.
Source: #-Link-Snipped-#Â Image Credit: Quantum Diaries
The standard model, allows for only tiny differences to occur between the behaviour of an antimatter and matter, including the decay rate. But #-Link-Snipped-# has turned up contradictory results to this theory. A surprisingly huge difference was found in the decay rates. The decay rates of short lived particles #-Link-Snipped-# were measured, which are pair of quarks, the fundamental constituent of matter.
#-Link-Snipped-#
Scientists studied the decays of a particlar type of #-Link-Snipped-# and its antimatter counterpart, the anti-D0. Both can decay into a pair of lighter mesons, making a Particle Creation plus an anti-pion or a #-Link-Snipped-# plus an anti-kaon. If the standard model is accurate, the starting particle shouldn't make a difference. The experimenters subtracted the number of pion plus anti-pion pairs produced by the D0 particles from those produced by the anti-D0 particles. Similarly for the pairs of kaons and anti-kaons. Then, they subtracted each of these results from the other. If the decay rates should be same, according to standard model, then the result produced should be zero. But that was not the case. A difference of 0.8 percent was found.
A concept to explain this is Supersymmetry (SUSY),  a theory that extends the standard model by adding in heavy super-partners for every known particle. The uncertainty principle allows them to exist as virtual particles which could influence the decay of standard particles, creating asymmetries between matter and antimatter.
SUSY also proves to be a fit  for the mysterious dark matter that holds galaxies together and appears to account for some 80 per cent of all matter. If further research hints of this asymmetry, then it is possible it could have had important effects in the early universe. This would explain why more matter than antimatter emerged from the big bang. Either way, Physics has some deep pondering to do.
Source: #-Link-Snipped-#Â Image Credit: Quantum Diaries
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