Scientists say they may figure out why the universe exists
- 4 years ago
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA — Scientists may have figured out why matter outnumbers antimatter in our universe.
According to the researchers, had the two substances been created in equal amounts, they would have annihilated one another and the universe would not have existed.
In a study published in Physical Review Letters, researchers say that after the big bang, the early universe must have gone through a phase that allowed neutrinos to create more matter than antimatter.
This period would also have created the cosmic strings.
Citing the authors, Live Science reports that cosmic strings are thin bands of energy that still thread through the universe and that the strings' formation in the early cosmos can be proven by the ripples in space time they created.
Although the ripples are faint, the research team says that if their models are correct, future instruments such as NASA's future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna will be able to detect the ripples and confirm their theory.
According to the researchers, had the two substances been created in equal amounts, they would have annihilated one another and the universe would not have existed.
In a study published in Physical Review Letters, researchers say that after the big bang, the early universe must have gone through a phase that allowed neutrinos to create more matter than antimatter.
This period would also have created the cosmic strings.
Citing the authors, Live Science reports that cosmic strings are thin bands of energy that still thread through the universe and that the strings' formation in the early cosmos can be proven by the ripples in space time they created.
Although the ripples are faint, the research team says that if their models are correct, future instruments such as NASA's future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna will be able to detect the ripples and confirm their theory.