The Big Bang was probably a pretty violent event.
So how did the Universe survive?
Hey guys, Amy here with DNews.
Most of us probably don’t lose too much sleep wondering how the Universe survived
the Big Bang.
But scientists do, because by some accounts it shouldn’t have.
It comes down to the Higgs particle.
The Higgs is part of a larger set of theories, called the Standard Model of Physics.
The Standard Model is a theory that explains how the basic building blocks of matter interact.
In short: Our entire universe is made of 12 different matter particles — six quarks
made of protons and neutrons and six leptons that include electrons and electron neutrinos
— and four forces: and the gravitational, electromagnetic, strong and weak nuclear forces.
We don’t know exactly what’s responsible for the force of gravity, but the other three
forces result from the exchange of force-carrier particles called bosons; particles of matter
transfer energy bewteen them by exchanging these bosons, and each fundamental force has
its own corresponding boson.
The Higgs boson is responsible for giving all particles mass and was discovered in 2012
with great fanfare -- you can find out more on DiscoveryNews.com.
It’s the production of this Higgs particle that’s problematic for the Big Bang Theory.
Some studies suggest that the production of Higgs bosons during the initial accelerating
expansion immediately after the Big Bang should have led to instability and its ultimate collapse!
Scientists have gone so far as to consider developing a new physics to explain the origins
of the universe.
And the simple answer to solve the problem might be gravity.
More specifically, the interaction between gravity and those Higgs bosons.
Rather than speeding the collapse of the universe just after the Big Bang, the interaction between
gravity and the Higgs particles, even if it was a small one, would have been enough to
stabilize the universe against collapse!
And what’s more, this idea fits within the Standard Model.
No new physics required!
Yay!
Of course, all that being said, there are still scientists who are unsure that we've
even FOUND the Higgs boson, and still others who question the cause of gravity or the Big
Bang at ALL.
Which is why we gotta keep searching for the answers.
It's exciting, but it's like watching a very slow moving sporting event.
Like, even slower than cricket.
What weird questions about the Big Bang keep you guys up at night?
Let us know in the comments below or you can catch me on Twitter as @astVintageSpace.
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the week.