The mystery of the universe's matter-antimatter balance re-examined with cosmic knot theory

One of the great mysteries of the universe—the existence of matter and the disappearance of antimatter—has been revisited under the leadership of researchers from Japan and Germany. The research team developed a modern theory based on the vortex atom model, which was developed in the 19th century and eventually discarded. According to this new model, cosmic knots formed in the first seconds of the universe may have been the source of the matter-antimatter imbalance observed today.

This approach, proposed by British physicist William Thompson in 1867, suggested that atoms were composed of stable vortices within a hypothetical substance in space called the 'aether.' Different knot forms explained the distinctive characteristics of various elements. However, once it was proven that the aether did not exist, this model became an unfavored theory in the scientific community. Nevertheless, the concept of knots continued to be influential in other scientific disciplines.

PHYSICISTS' NEW INTERPRETATION: THE ROLE OF COSMIC KNOTS

Today, experts from Hiroshima University and the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) have applied some principles of this old model to questions regarding the origin of the universe. They sought a theoretical explanation for a long-debated issue in the scientific world: the small but decisive imbalance between matter and antimatter. In the standard Big Bang model, both types of matter should have been produced in equal amounts. However, in the real universe, the partial dominance of matter allowed all existence to emerge. Muneto Nitta, who led the research, emphasizes that this small difference is critical to answering the question of "why the universe exists."

According to the new study, complex structures called cosmic knot solitons that emerged at the beginning of the universe may have disrupted the delicate balance between matter and antimatter in favor of matter. The theory states that with the breaking of symmetry, thread-like structures became knotted over time, gained stability, and later unraveled to create an excess of matter.

It is noted that during this process, right-handed neutrinos emerged and decayed to form light particles in favor of matter, thus playing a leading role in the blossoming of existence in the universe.

THE MODEL'S CONTRIBUTION TO UNIVERSAL QUESTIONS

According to the research, this proposed theory does not only explain matter-antimatter asymmetry; it could also contribute to understanding unknowns regarding dark matter and neutrino masses, and even a physical puzzle known as the strong CP problem. Professor Nitta and his team shared that their next goal is to refine the theory's predictions to make them testable in future experiments.

News Source: 12punto