How the death of one tiny particle could end the universe

No one has observed any evidence for proton disintegration . That might be dissatisfactory professionally for physicists , but it ’s good news for the world . If it turns out to be possible , proton decay could be the kickoff of the end of everything . Here ’s why .

How do we start with protons and end with the end of the universe ? We begin with what ’s in those proton . Inside proton are quark . Quarks are one of the two most basic mote we can find . Quarks are subject to the strong force , the force that keeps a core group together . Each quark cheese has essentially been portion a baryon number of one third . The most illustrious baryons are protons and neutron which have three quark cheese each , amounting to a heavy particle issue of one . ( Also famous are the antiproton , which have a negatively charged baryon number . So if a proton and antiproton were simultaneously created , the overall baryon number of the system is zero . ) Because the electric charge of the quarks in protons and neutrons is a piffling different , the two particles have different charges . They also have slightly different heap . The neutron is a little squatty , which intend it can be involved in a change that involves the other cardinal patch of subject in the universe .

Leptons are separate from quarks . They are things like the electron , the neutrino , and their counterparts the antineutrino and antielectron . None of them are affected by the strong force-out . They have lepton numbers , and their anti - counterparts have minus lepton numbers .

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Lepton numbers and baryon numbers seem meaningless , until you know that no reaction in the universe has ever been observe that changed the overall heavy particle or lepton number . This lead to the laws of conservation of heavy particle telephone number and lepton number . call back of them like you would the preservation of energy and conservation of muckle . A sudden change in lepton numeral would be like an orchard apple tree just vanish into nothing , or a volley of energy coming from nowhere .

Which is why scientists were so nonplused , at first , by the fundamental interaction of lepton and quarks in the decline of the neutron . When a neutron decline , it turn into a proton , and sheds an electron . Since a proton is prescribed , and an electron is disconfirming , charge was keep up , but it seemed to scientist like lepton turn had totally changed . by and by , they realized that this decay involve the emission of an anti - neutrino ( specifically , an anti - electron neutrino , which is a neutrino associate with electron interactions . ) Since the electron had a lepton number of +1 , and the anti - electron neutrino had a numeral of -1 , the number was conserved , as was aggregative , as was charge . The decline entirely involve the debile force , which meant that the strong strength was n’t messing around with any leptons . And all was well .

Protons are the lightest of the baryons . They ca n’t shed anything else , unless their quark cheese dissolve into lighter particles . But this would subtract baryons and contribute leptons from out of nowhere . It was decide that it could n’t happen .

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Then along come a little thing called the Grand Unified Theory . This is an unrealized theory that hold that all the force can reach some level of equation , and can be explain with one centripetal and quantifiable theme . It ’s very aesthetically pleasing . The problem is , if the unattackable and the weakly force are tantamount , then leptons and baryons are equivalent as well . Remember the conservation of slew and the conservation of energy ? This would be like Einstein ’s realisation that Es = mc^2 , and good deal and vigor are tantamount – that one can be stand in in for another . of a sudden an Malus pumila could go away , and a sudden fit of vim could appear . affair could be convert into energy . Under the Grand Unified Theory , baryons could be convert into leptons . Baryon figure and lepton number are no longer maintain .

proton could then give way down into positrons and pi-meson . Although there are various mechanism of proton radioactive decay , scientists think that protons have a life history of about 10 ^ 25 to 10 ^ 33 years . Which is a ruth , since at this peak the universe will have pile of problems of its own . By 10 ^ 30 years , the universe ’s stars will have first lose out of view of each other , and burn out until they went dark . Energy is what organizes speck – gravitational push that brings speck together to spring stars and planet , solar vigour that heat up up planets throw endure a chance . By then , the most intense explosion of energy will come in from lump matter fall into black holes . That might be the only way to wring energy from the existence . And it wo n’t influence , because the matter itself will but unfreeze . Once the baryons have savourless - out fizzle into lepton , there ’s no means of getting them back without the remark of a lot of energy . Proton decay mean that any civilization – any matter at all – that make it that long will literally disband as even H dissolve into smaller particles .

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