Matter and antimatter are two forms of particles that possess opposite electrical charges and other quantum numbers. The primary distinction between matter and antimatter lies in the charge of their constituent particles. Matter is composed of particles with positive charge, such as protons, and negative charge, such as electrons. Antimatter, on the other hand, consists of antiparticles that have opposite charge, such as antiprotons and positrons.
When matter and antimatter particles come into contact, they can annihilate each other, releasing a tremendous amount of energy in the process. This annihilation occurs due to the mutual annihilation of particle and antiparticle, leading to the production of high-energy photons or other elementary particles.
Regarding the hypothesis that our universe may be composed of antimatter instead of matter, it is an intriguing idea, but current observations strongly suggest that our universe is predominantly made up of matter. This inference is based on the fact that when matter and antimatter come into contact, they annihilate, leaving behind energy signatures that would be detectable. If our universe were composed of equal amounts of matter and antimatter, we would expect to observe significant evidence of annihilation events.
To further investigate this hypothesis, scientists conduct experiments and observations to search for signatures of antimatter in the universe. For instance, they look for specific energy signatures or cosmic rays that could indicate the presence of antimatter. Additionally, experiments like the ALPHA and AMS-02 collaborations are dedicated to studying antimatter and its properties.
To conclusively prove or disprove the hypothesis that our universe is primarily made of antimatter, scientists would need to observe direct evidence of significant regions in the universe consisting of antimatter. This could involve detecting antimatter galaxies or regions with an excess of antimatter particles. However, as of now, the overwhelming evidence suggests that our observable universe is predominantly composed of matter.