The idea that antimatter can be interpreted as matter traveling backwards in time is rooted in certain mathematical and conceptual interpretations within the framework of quantum mechanics. However, it's important to note that this is just one way of understanding antimatter and is not universally accepted.
The concept arises from the Dirac equation, which is a relativistic quantum wave equation that describes the behavior of fermions, including electrons. When Dirac formulated this equation in 1928, he found that it predicted the existence of solutions with negative energy. To account for these solutions, he proposed that every particle has an antiparticle with the same mass but opposite charge.
The interpretation that antimatter can be seen as matter traveling backwards in time comes from the concept of relativistic time reversal symmetry in quantum field theory. Time reversal symmetry suggests that the equations of physics remain the same when time is reversed. In this view, a positron (the antiparticle of the electron) can be considered as an electron moving backward in time.
However, it's crucial to understand that this interpretation should not be taken too literally. In reality, the interpretation of antimatter as traveling backwards in time is just a mathematical and conceptual construct that helps describe the behavior of antiparticles within the framework of quantum field theory. It does not imply that antimatter particles are actually "moving" through time in a literal sense.
The description of antimatter as traveling backwards in time is just one way to make sense of the mathematical formalism. In practical terms, antimatter is observed to have opposite charge and other properties compared to ordinary matter, and it annihilates upon contact with matter, releasing energy.
It's worth noting that while the mathematical formalism of quantum field theory and its interpretations have been successful in describing and predicting various phenomena, the underlying nature of time and the behavior of particles at the most fundamental level are still subjects of ongoing scientific inquiry and debate.