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Chapter 27: Problem 14

. Explain the connection between the fact that humans exist and the imbalance between matter and antimatter in the early universe.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Humans exist because of a slight imbalance between matter and antimatter in the early universe. This allowed matter to predominate, leading to the creation of stars, planets, and eventually life as we know it, without being annihilated by antimatter.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Matter and Antimatter

Matter and Antimatter are exactly equal and opposite, fulfilling the principle of symmetry. When matter and antimatter interact, they annihilate each other, producing energy. In the very early universe, it is believed that there were almost equal amounts of matter and antimatter. However, if this had remained the case, all matter and antimatter would've annihilated each other leaving only energy.
02

Symmetry Breaking and Baryogenesis

The universe as it exists today is primarily made up of matter with minimal antimatter, which implies that this initial symmetry was broken at some stage, leading to an excess of matter over antimatter. This is the theory of Baryogenesis. Baryogenesis refers to processes that produced an imbalance between matter and antimatter in the observed universe, after the Big Bang. This asymmetry is critical because any substantial amount of antimatter would lead to an intense burst of radiation when it annihilated with matter, implying that life as we know it couldn't exist with much antimatter around.
03

Connection to Human Existence

Considering the destructive potential of matter-antimatter interactions, had the symmetry not been broken leading to an abundance of matter over antimatter, life in the universe, including human existence, wouldn't have been possible. We owe our existence to this slight imbalance between matter and antimatter in the early universe.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

(a) If a Population III star had a surface temperature of \(10^{5} \mathrm{~K}\), what was its wavelength of maximum emission? In what part of the electromagnetic spectrum does this wavelength lie? (b) To ionize a hydrogen atom requires a photon of wavelength \(91.2 \mathrm{~nm}\) or shorter. Explain how Population III stars caused reionization. (c) If reionization occurred at \(z=11\), what do we measure the wavelength of maximum emission of a Population III star to be? In what part of the electromagnetic spectrum does this wavelength lie? (d) The image that opens this chapter was made using infrared wavelengths. Suggest why these wavelengths were chosen.

Use the Stary Night Entbusiast TM program to examine the distribution of galaxies in our local universe. Select Favourites \(>\) Deep Space \(>\) Tully Database to display the 3 -dimensional distribution of the 28,000 galaxies nearest to the Milky Way. Stop Time and remove the image of the astronaut's feet by clicking on View > Feet. The Milky Way is at the center of the box. You can rotate the box by putting the mouse cursor over the image, holding down the mouse button and Shift key, and moving the mouse. (On a two-button mouse, hold down the left mouse button.) As you rotate this cube of galaxies, you will note the apparent lack of galaxies in one plane, the so-called Zone of Avoidance, caused by the obscuration of the light from distant galaxies in these directions by our own Milky Way Galaxy. You can zoom in or out using the buttons at the upper right of the toolbar. Note particularly the appearance of walls of galaxies, which surround voids in which few galaxies are found, and the clustering of galaxies at the interstices of these walls. Compare the box to the simulated present-day universe shown at the lower right of Figure \(27-19\). What are the similarities? What are the differences?

Describe an example of each of the four basic types of interactions in the physical universe. Do you think it possible that a fifth force might be discovered someday? Explain your answer.

Explain the connection between particles and antiparticles in the early universe and the cosmic microwave background that we observe today.

What is the difference between hot and cold dark matter? How do astronomers decide which was more important in the formation of large-scale structures such as clusters of galaxies?
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