All Matter Matters

 Kevin Mamo

Professor Horgan

HST - 401 A

September 25th, 2022


All matter matters


Everything in our universe is made up of matter, but at the birth of our universe it wasn’t just matter that came to be; antimatter was also released into the void. Antimatter is one of the biggest mysteries in physics since it was first realized in the year 1928 by one of the fathers of quantum mechanics, Paul Dirac. The perplexing thing about antiparticles is that they are identical to regular subatomic particles. This can be easily explained through the simple math equation x squared equals four as the solution is two and negative two. Hence, the electron has the same mass as the “positron” or antielectron, and the proton has the same mass as the antiproton. Neutrons are the exception as a normal neutron and an antineutron both have no charge but their baryon number differs (antineutron is -1 and neutron is 1). Anything made up of antimatter would be the same as anything that we have in our universe right now, so an antimatter earth would be the same as our earth. However, this raises the question: if the big bang released both normal matter and antimatter into the universe, and antimatter has the same properties as matter, why does our universe seemingly only compose itself of normal matter?  

The laws of physics are bent a little bit when it comes to antimatter because we know that matter cannot be created nor destroyed. However, when normal particles and antiparticles come into contact with one another they annihilate each other and release two gamma rays. This reaction is precisely why it is so difficult to find antimatter on earth and in our universe. There are very few things that naturally create antimatter (radioactive decay, thunderstorms, and cosmic rays), and even if it is created only a small amount of antiparticles are released. Those antiparticles are then immediately destroyed once they come in contact with regular matter which is quite literally everywhere. Which means that the big bang seemingly created more normal matter than antimatter because there is just an overwhelming presence of matter as opposed to antimatter. In fact, besides the three natural occurrences mentioned before antimatter can only be made/found under strict lab conditions and in particle accelerators. Even in labs it's difficult to study antimatter because scientists cannot create many antiparticles, nor can they keep them existing for that long as even touching the side of a container destroys them. Currently scientists are only able to create a few hundred antihydrogens for one thousand seconds, however, this is enough time and particles to allow said scientists to study antimatter more closely than before. 

Researchers have found ways that antimatter could be potentially useful. One of the most popular ideas, although unfortunate, is to use antimatter for explosions/bombs. Since antimatter explodes on contact with normal matter, in sufficient amounts it could be used in a similar fashion as a hydrogen bomb. For instance one kilo of matter colliding with one kilo of antimatter would be create an explosion ten times more potent than the bomb dropped on hiroshima. On a more positive note antimatter can be potentially used for space travel if a method could be devised to isolate the antiparticles and keep them from colliding with normal particles until it is required to propel the spacecraft forward. PET (positron emission tomography) is already being used to screen the human body for cancerous tumor growths or any other abnormalities. Fusion reactors could theoretically be built as well if we combine antimatter with already existing nuclear technology. The fusion reactors could be used for cleaner and more efficient energy sources. Antimatter has a lot of positive potential for our society, and as particle accelerators become more sophisticated physicists will be able to study antiparticles even further. 

It’s true matter is what constitutes our universe, yet antimatter is also interesting because of its similarities and behavior towards normal matter. Presently antimatter isn’t very useful, but as technology progresses in the future what was once fiction could become reality. With antimatter humanity could accelerate space travel, create cleaner energy, help detect and fight off deadly diseases. It continues to be a mystery and a marvel to physicists. Although we may never know why the big bang created more matter than antimatter, we can still deepen our understanding of our universe with our research into antimatter. 

  • Kevin Mamo 9/25/22

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