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Why do matter and the universe exist at all? Scientists get closer to the answer

Why do matter and the universe exist at all? Scientists get closer to the answer

This weekend, Nobel-Prize-winning physicist Eric A. Cornell talks tabout his team’s exploration of the problem of asymmetry. In a new study, they measured the electric dipole moments of electrons, and their results could have a major impact the future of particle physics.Interesting Engineering spoke with Dr. Eric Cornell to get further insight into the group’s methods and how they achieved such spectacular precison.

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Why do matter and the universe exist at all? Scientists get closer to the answer

Our universe is an enigma. From its fiery inception, matter and antimatter particles blinked into existence, only to annihilate each other in bursts of light. Logically, if this balance persisted, our universe wouldn't exist — yet, here we are.

At the heart of this cosmic mystery is the problem of asymmetry: Why does matter dominate when equations suggest an even balance?

Nobel-Prize-winning physicist Eric A. Cornell of JILA/NIST at the University of Colorado Boulder is leading a charge to understand this conundrum. Already renowned for his role in the creation of the first Bose–Einstein condensate, Dr. Cornell has now turned his attention to understanding the inherent asymmetry in fundamental particles like electrons.

The group's new research, detailed in the prestigious journal Science, documents a record-breaking measurement of electrons, specifically their electric dipole moment (eEDM).

This seemingly esoteric measurement can illuminate the distribution of electric charge within an electron. Discovering a non-zero eEDM would hint that electrons aren't perfectly round but are more egg-shaped, possibly providing the sought-after evidence of asymmetry in the universe.

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An intricate dance of lasers, molecules, and electrons

So how does one measure the shape of something as infinitesimally small as an electron? With ingenuity and a molecule called hafnium fluoride.

Utilizing this molecule's inherent properties, Dr. Cornell's team embarked on a groundbreaking experiment to measure the eEDM with an unprecedented 2.4 times more precision than past attempts.

Their methods, as described by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), involve stripping electrons from molecules using ultraviolet lasers and then capturing these positively charged ions in a trap. The ingenious part? Using lasers to measure any discrepancies in the trapped ions' energy levels, which could reveal the non-symmetry of electrons.

In a revealing conversation with Interesting Engineering, Dr. Cornell elaborated on the study's significance.

He describes the quest for understanding asymmetry as not just academic but fundamental to our universe's fabric. A non-zero measurement of eEDM could offer profound insights into particles beyond our current understanding and even redefine the direction of future particle physics research.

But for now, the eEDM measurement remains elusive, and the universe keeps some of its secrets.

For those eager to unravel the universe's mysteries further, click below to delve into the full article and accompanying study, "An improved bound on the electron’s electric dipole moment."

For every 1 billion protons and 1 billion anti-protons, there was actually a billion and one protons... And it's really good that it wasn't exactly the same. Because had it been, there'd be nothing left but light, right, so it is sort of mysterious, why this tiny little imperfection was leftover from the Big Bang. And especially because [...] it's why we're all here.

Dr. Eric A. Cornell

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