What’s the Matter? It’s Antimatter

For a long time, we studied a lot about the matter, its properties, and its behaviour with the four fundamental forces. Our scientific approach even predicts the existence of antimatter from the so-called combined quantum theory and special relativity.

First Appearance in negative solution

In 1928, British physicist Paul Dirac studied the moving electron at relativistic speeds using combined principles of quantum theory as well as special relativity.

His equation on the behaviour of moving electrons gives two solutions (as every quadratic equation gives two solutions). One gives positive energy and another gives negative energy for electrons, definitely negative energy for that given condition doesn’t make any sense, hence it should be neglected.

But Paul Dirac didn’t neglect but theorized it as the antiparticle of electrons according to the negative solution of his equation. This anti-electron must have the same mass a proton has but the opposite charge and quantum number.

Imaginary antiparticles

Paul Dirac even stated that not only do electrons have their anti-electron but every particle has its mirror particle that has the same mass but opposite charge. Mathematically, his equations are valid for the prediction of anti-particles.

Detected experimentally

In 1932, Carl D. Anderson announced the existence of the Positron (positive electron), investigating cosmic rays, he encountered an unexpected particle track in his cloud chamber photograph that had an equal mass to that electron but opposite charge. This validates the theoretical prediction of Paul Dirac about the anti-particles.

How Antimatter produced

Naturally, cosmic rays produced different types of anti-particles but they immediately annihilated into gamma energy when they came in contact with ordinary particles. β+ decays also produce anti-electrons or positrons. Many black holes produce a positron-electron pair via jet.

Artificially, High energy particle accelerators produce anti-electron and other antiparticles

Amazing properties of Antimatter

Mutual Annihilation

When the Antimatter comes in contact with normal matter, it will produce pure energy in the form of gamma radiation. The energy produced by the matter-antimatter is given by the mass-energy equivalence principle. 1gm of matter-antimatter releases a huge amount of gamma radiation 9×10¹⁵ joules.

The antimatter is produced in very minute amounts and has a stable life span as that of ordinary matter but because of mutual annihilation, it produces pure energy whenever it collides with the wall of the accelerator. It is very difficult or probably impossible with present technology to store the antimatter.

Presently we can only trap charged anti-particles in the Penning trap and magnetic trap, which uses electric and magnetic fields to move the charged antiparticles in a circular path without colliding with the walls of the trap. These traps wouldn’t work for neutral anti-atoms, so for now we can’t store the antimatter.

If we are successful in storing the antimatter, we can use the mutual annihilation as the source of energy for Rockets and space crafts. Our space crafts use chemical reactions to produce thrust, these liquid chemicals are filled in huge quantities. This is the reason why we can’t go for a two-way trip to Mars because the energy released by these limited-filled liquid fuels is not enough.

If we use small quantities of antimatter and make them annihilated with the matter, this produces pure energy even 100 times more energy than the traditional rockets and spacecraft, then we can also go for galactic travel.

But also this mutual annihilation can also be used to make weapons and destructive bombs that can be more horrible than atomic or nuclear bombs.

Asymmetric existence

In our observable universe, space administrators report that there is only ordinary matter present in the universe. Only in regions where cosmic rays are produced such as near the stars or black holes, the positrons are found coupled with electrons.

Present researchers don’t know why antimatter is not existing and ordinary matter is all around us. Why is there asymmetry?