Physicists Revive 150-Year-Old Theory to Address Matter-Antimatter Puzzle

A team of physicists from Japan has revived a theory from 1867, proposing a novel approach to the enduring mystery of matter and antimatter. Their research, published in Physical Review Letters, reinterprets the idea of atoms as “knots” in a theoretical medium known as aether. While the paper does not advocate for aether as an element, it suggests that these cosmic knots could help explain why our universe is filled with matter instead of an equal amount of antimatter.

The matter-antimatter imbalance is a significant puzzle in modern physics. According to the Big Bang theory, particle pairs of matter and antimatter should have annihilated each other shortly after the universe’s creation, leaving only radiation behind. Yet, the universe is predominantly made up of matter, leading scientists to investigate potential explanations for this asymmetry. Various theories have been proposed, including charge-parity (CP) violation, but a definitive answer remains elusive.

Historically, physicist William Thomson, also known as Lord Kelvin, suggested that atoms could be understood as knots, described mathematically as closed curves in three-dimensional space. The Japanese researchers have taken this concept further by applying it to energy wave packets that existed in the early universe. After the Big Bang, they posit that phase transitions caused cracks in space, creating “thread-like defects” that eventually formed cosmic knots as spacetime expanded and contracted.

According to the study, these knots would untangle through a process known as quantum tunneling, which allows particles to pass through barriers in the quantum realm. If these knots had a slight bias toward matter, their untangling could provide insight into the matter-antimatter imbalance.

Yu Hamada, a co-author of the study and a particle physicist at Keio University, stated, “Basically, this collapse produces a lot of particles.” Among these particles are heavy neutrinos, which are electrically neutral and nearly massless. The decay of these neutrinos could naturally generate the imbalance between matter and antimatter. As Hamada elaborated, “These heavy neutrinos decay into lighter particles, such as electrons and photons, creating a secondary cascade that reheats the universe.”

The researchers emphasize that this proposal is still a theoretical framework. Nevertheless, their mathematical investigations indicate that the collapse of cosmic knots should leave behind detectable strings. Observatories such as LIGO and LISA could potentially identify these structures, marking a significant advancement for string theory enthusiasts.

This revival of a historical theory not only adds depth to the ongoing discussions surrounding the fundamental nature of our universe but also highlights the potential of revisiting long-dismissed ideas in the quest for scientific understanding. As research continues, the implications of these cosmic knots could reshape our perceptions of matter, antimatter, and the origins of the universe.