Mirror matter
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In physics, mirror matter, also called shadow matter or Alice matter, is a hypothetical counterpart to ordinary matter.[1]
Overview
Modern physics deals with three basic types of spatial
Parity violation in weak interactions was first postulated by
to determine whether the electrons it emitted were radiated isotropically, like the two gamma rays. Wu performed this experiment at the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C. after nine months of work. Contrary to most expectations, in December 1956 she and her team observed anisotropic electron radiation, proving that the weak interactions of the known particles violate parity.[3][4][5][6][7][8]
However, parity symmetry can be restored as a fundamental symmetry of nature if the particle content is enlarged so that every particle has a mirror partner. The theory in its modern form was described in 1991, While in the case of unbroken parity symmetry the masses of particles are the same as their mirror partners, in case of broken parity symmetry the mirror partners are lighter or heavier.
Mirror matter, if it exists, would interact weakly in strength with ordinary matter. This is because the forces between mirror particles are mediated by mirror bosons. With the exception of the graviton, none of the known bosons can be identical to their mirror partners. The only way mirror matter can interact with ordinary matter via forces other than gravity is via kinetic mixing of mirror bosons with ordinary bosons. These interactions can only be very weak. Mirror particles have therefore been suggested as candidates for the inferred dark matter in the universe.[14][15][16][17][18]
In another context,
Observational effects
Abundance
Mirror matter could have been diluted to unobservably low densities during the
The mixing between photons and mirror photons could be present in tree-level Feynman diagrams or arise as a consequence of quantum corrections due to the presence of particles that carry both ordinary and mirror charges. In the latter case, the quantum corrections have to vanish at the one and two loop-level Feynman diagrams, otherwise the predicted value of the kinetic mixing parameter would be larger than experimentally allowed.[22]
An experiment to measure this effect was being planned in November 2003.[23]
Dark matter
If mirror matter does exist in large abundances in the universe and if it interacts with ordinary matter via photon—mirror photon mixing, then this could be detected in dark matter direct detection experiments such as DAMA/NaI and its successor DAMA/LIBRA. In fact, it is one of the few dark matter candidates which can explain the positive DAMA/NaI dark matter signal whilst still being consistent with the null results of other dark matter experiments.[24][25]
Electromagnetic effects
Mirror matter may also be detected in electromagnetic field penetration experiments[26] and there would also be consequences for planetary science[27][28] and astrophysics.[29]
GZK puzzle
Mirror matter could also be responsible for the GZK puzzle. Topological defects in the mirror sector could produce mirror neutrinos which can oscillate to ordinary neutrinos.[30] Another possible way to evade the GZK bound is via neutron–mirror neutron oscillations.[31][32][33][34]
Gravitational effects
If mirror matter is present in the universe with sufficient abundance then its gravitational effects can be detected. Because mirror matter is analogous to ordinary matter, it is then to be expected that a fraction of the mirror matter exists in the form of mirror galaxies, mirror stars, mirror planets etc. These objects can be detected using gravitational
Neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations
Neutrons which are electrically neutral particles of ordinary matter could oscillate into its mirror partner, the mirror neutron.[37] Recently experiments looked for neutrons vanishing into the mirror world. Most experiments found no signal and hence gave limits on transition rates to the mirror state,[38][39][40][41] one paper claimed signals.[42] Current research looks for signals where an applied magnetic field adjust the energy level of the neutron to the mirror world.[43][44] This energy difference can be interpreted due to a mirror magnetic field present in the mirror world or a mass difference of the neutron and its mirror partner. Such a transition to the mirror world could also solve the neutron lifetime puzzle.[45] Experiments searching for mirror neutron oscillation are ongoing at the Paul Scherrer Institute's UCN source, Switzerland, Institut Laue-Langevin, France and Spallation Neutron Source, USA.
See also
- Antimatter – Material composed of antiparticles of the corresponding particles of ordinary matter
- Dark energy – Energy driving the accelerated expansion of the universe
- Dark matter – Hypothetical form of matter that interacts with gravity, but not with light or electromagnetic field
- Gravitational interaction of antimatter – Theory of gravity on antimatter
- Negative energy – Concept in physics
- Negative mass – Concept in physical models
- Strange matter – Degenerate matter made from strange quarks
- QCD matter – Hypothetical phases of matter
References
- ^ Zyga, Lisa (2010-04-27). "Signs of dark matter may point to mirror matter candidate". Phys.org. Archived from the original on 2015-10-11. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
- ^ )
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- ^ Kobzarev, I.; Okun, L.; Pomeranchuk, I. (1966). "On the possibility of observing mirror particles". Soviet Journal of Nuclear Physics. 3: 837.
- S2CID 15736872.
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- ^ a b Blinnikov, S. I.; Khlopov, M. Yu. (1982). "On possible effects of 'mirror' particles". Soviet Journal of Nuclear Physics. 36: 472.
- ^ Bibcode:1983SvA....27..371B.
- ^ S2CID 4353658.)
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ a b c Khlopov, M. Yu.; Beskin, G. M.; Bochkarev, N. E.; Pushtilnik, L. A.; Pushtilnik, S. A. (1991). "Observational physics of mirror world" (PDF). Astron. Zh. Akad. Nauk SSSR. 68: 42–57. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-06-05.
- ^ PMID 10015599.
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External links
- A collection of scientific articles on various aspects of mirror matter theory
- Mirror matter article on h2g2
- R. Foot (2004). "Mirror matter type dark matter". International Journal of Modern Physics D. 13 (10): 2161–2192. S2CID 16148721.
- L.B. Okun (2007). "Mirror particles and mirror matter: 50 years of speculation and search". Physics-Uspekhi. 50 (4): 380–389. S2CID 12137927.
- Z.K. Silagadze (2001). "TeV scale gravity, mirror universe, and ... dinosaurs". Acta Physica Polonica B. 32 (1): 99–128. Bibcode:2001AcPPB..32...99S.