Antimatter is fundamentally the opposite of matter. According to current theories, the Big Bang should have produced equal amounts of both. Why, then, does the Universe today consist predominantly of matter?
The Big Bang theory suggests that, at the moment of the event, equal amounts of matter and antimatter were created from energy.1 Matter is made up of elementary particles with specific charges (or no charge) and other defining properties. These particles include quarks, which combine to form protons, neutrons, and other particles, as well as leptons, such as electrons and neutrinos.
What is antimatter?
Antimatter closely mirrors matter, yet, as the prefix ‘anti-’ suggests, it is fundamentally its opposite in certain respects. While antimatter particles share the same mass as their matter counterparts, they differ in their opposing properties. For example, the antimatter equivalent of a proton is the antiproton, which consists of two anti-up quarks and one anti-down quark. Unlike the proton, which carries a positive charge of +1, the antiproton carries a negative charge of -1. Similarly, the electron and its counterpart, the positron (antielectron), have charges of -1 and +1, respectively.
The contrasting charge and properties of antimatter particles make them the mirror image of their matter counterparts. Consequently, when a particle meets its corresponding antiparticle, both undergo annihilation, resulting in the creation of new particles. For example, when a low-energy electron collides with a positron, both are annihilated, producing two gamma photons. Depending on the energy involved, this annihilation can also lead to the creation of various other particles, including the Higgs boson. This principle holds true for other particle-antiparticle pairs, such as the proton and antiproton.
The baryon asymmetry problem
Furthermore, the reverse process can also take place, with two high-energy photons generating particle-antiparticle pairs. Experimental evidence confirms that matter can arise from energy in this way.2 This process is referred to as baryogenesis. Secular scientists suggest that, shortly after the Big Bang, when the early Universe was densely filled with high-energy photons, these photons collided, producing both matter and antimatter. As a result, according to the Big Bang theory, equal quantities of matter and antimatter should have been generated from the primordial photons.
The problem, however, is that this is not the case. Our Universe is almost entirely made up of matter. According to current theories, after the Big Bang, when almost all matter and antimatter annihilated, a small fraction of matter persisted. This remaining matter forms everything we observe today and constitutes the entirety of the Universe. Thus, the question arises: where did this excess matter come from, which did not annihilate shortly after the Big Bang? This conundrum is known as the baryon asymmetry problem.3
Antimatter vs. matter
According to the Big Bang theory, we should observe equal amounts of matter and antimatter, or, alternatively, there should be no matter at all, as it would have annihilated with antimatter (making the existence of life impossible). In contrast, the Universe appears to be almost entirely composed of matter, with only a negligible amount of naturally occurring antimatter.
Scientists have investigated the ratio of protons and antiprotons in the primordial cosmic radiation within the energy range of 4 GeV to 50 GeV. Their research shows that antiprotons account for less than 0.01% of the radiation, assuming that antiparticles are secondary by-products of collisions between primary radiation and interstellar gas molecules.4 Thus, the observable Universe is overwhelmingly made up of matter.
A problem for evolutionists, but not for creationists
Where does the discrepancy between the amounts of matter and antimatter arise? This remains a significant puzzle for secular astronomers who argue that the Universe formed entirely through natural processes. Various solutions have been proposed to address the baryon asymmetry problem and the missing antimatter.5 One such suggestion is the idea of regions within the Universe where antimatter outweighs matter, or even the existence of a mirrored anti-Universe. However, none of these theories have proven compelling. As a result, the baryon asymmetry problem remains an unresolved mystery for secular scientists.
This, however, does not pose a mystery for those who believe in biblical creation. If the Big Bang theory were accurate, and had produced equal amounts of matter and antimatter, which subsequently annihilated each other, our existence would be impossible. The fact that the Universe is almost entirely composed of matter, with antimatter only appearing as a byproduct of certain physical processes, strongly implies that it did not arise by chance. It suggests that the Universe was designed to ensure the existence of matter, and consequently, our existence as well. The baryon asymmetry problem thus provides compelling evidence for the existence of God the Creator, who designed our entirely material Universe.
By the way, we recommend reading the articles:
- Was Our Universe Created in a Laboratory?
- The Syrinx: The Secret Behind Birds’ Songs
- Ants: Complex Creatures
- A Bird That Walks Underwater
- Social Darwinism and Its Impact on Society
Footnotes
- Hebert, J., Big Bang Scientists: Universe Shouldn’t Exist, Institute for Creation Research, 9 November 2017, available at: https://www.icr.org/article/big-bang-scientists-universe-shouldnt/.
- Lisle, J., The Big Bang: God’s Chosen Method of Creation?, Answers in Genesis, 20 November 2007, available at: https://answersingenesis.org/big-bang/the-big-bang/.
- Hebert, J., op. cit.
- Beach, A. S. et al., Measurement of the Cosmic-Ray Antiproton to Proton Abundance Ratio between 4 and 50 GeV, arXiv, 5 November 2001, available at: https://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/0111094.pdf.
- Oard, M. J., Missing Antimatter Challenges the ’Big Bang’ Theory, Answers in Genesis, 1 December 1998, available at: https://answersingenesis.org/big-bang/missing-antimatter-challenges-the-big-bang-theory.
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