NY Times Article: Mater vs. Anti-Mater

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In summary, an article in today's New York Times discusses a new clue discovered by physicists at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory that may help solve the mystery of why the universe is composed of matter rather than antimatter. The discovery is a 3.2 sigma detection and may be enough to explain the matter/anti-matter asymmetry. However, further validation is needed before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.
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diogenesNY
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An article of interest in today's New York Times online:

Title: A New Clue to Explain Human Existence
Published: May 17, 2010
Author: Dennis Overbye

First Sentence: Physicists at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory are reporting that they have stumbled onto a new clue that could help unravel one of the biggest mysteries of cosmology: why the universe is composed of matter and not its evil-twin opposite, antimatter.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/science/space/18cosmos.html

Thought this might be of some interest.

diogenesNY
 
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Here is the scientific paper referenced:
http://www-d0.fnal.gov/Run2Physics/WWW/results/final/B/B10A/B10A.pdf

Looks like a 3.2 sigma detection, which is good, but I think it's definitely prudent to await validation from an independent check. I don't know much about high energy physics experiments, so I'm not qualified to judge any more than this about the paper. However, if true, it does seem like it should be quite enough CP violation to explain the matter/anti-matter asymmetry.
 

Related to NY Times Article: Mater vs. Anti-Mater

1. What is the difference between matter and anti-matter?

Matter and anti-matter are essentially mirror images of each other. They have the same mass and opposite charge, meaning they can annihilate each other when they come into contact.

2. How is anti-matter created?

Anti-matter can be created through high-energy collisions, such as those in particle accelerators, or through natural processes in space such as supernovae explosions.

3. What are the potential applications of anti-matter?

Anti-matter has potential applications in medical imaging, cancer treatment, and energy production. However, its production and storage are currently very difficult and expensive.

4. Why is anti-matter important in understanding the universe?

Anti-matter is important in understanding the balance of matter in the universe. According to the Big Bang theory, equal amounts of matter and anti-matter should have been created, but there is a significant imbalance in favor of matter. This is a key mystery in our understanding of the universe.

5. Is it possible for matter and anti-matter to coexist?

No, matter and anti-matter cannot coexist in the same form. When they come into contact, they annihilate each other. However, it is possible for them to exist separately in different regions of the universe.

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