Dark matter

[Mandevu]

Is it conceivable that dark matter is composed of antimatter? I realize theoretically the two cannot coexist without annihilating each other, but what if the antimatter exists within a slightly different time space?

[Butters]

What exactly do you mean by existing in a different time space?

[Mandevu]

Difficult to be exact since this is a 'speculation' but my thought line is as follows:

 

1. Matter is comprised of positively charged protons with negatively charged electrons whizzing around them.

 

2. Antimatter is comprised of negatively charged antiprotons with positively charged positrons whizzing around them.

 

3. The faster matter moves the slower it experiences time. Since antimatter is diametrically opposite to matter, could it experience the exact opposite, placing it in a different time space?

 

4. Due to this difference in time space matter and antimatter would seldom come in to contact with each other and could coexist.

[md65536]

It's conceivable, but I doubt it, because...

 

1) Anti-matter looks and behaves like normal matter. If dark matter can't be detected, making it antimatter doesn't make its invisibility any more explained.

 

2) Large amounts of antimatter probably do not exist in observable space. If they did exist in places, we would likely see evidence of annihilation of matter and antimatter in such areas or along the boundaries between areas of matter and antimatter.

 

 

 

Oops... I didn't realize that your conjecture goes beyond this. Perhaps "dark antimatter" is different from antimatter, but evidence suggests that matter and antimatter have no problem coming into contact.

Edited June 8, 2011 by md65536

[Edtharan]

Dark matter is matter that doesn't interact with the electromagnetic force. Anti matter does interact with the electromagnetic force ( it is electrically opposite matter, and thus by necessity must interact with it), so Dark Matter can not be Antimatter.

[md65536]

Dark matter is matter that doesn't interact with the electromagnetic force. Anti matter does interact with the electromagnetic force ( it is electrically opposite matter, and thus by necessity must interact with it), so Dark Matter can not be Antimatter.

Given your definition of dark matter as "matter", can we assume that there is also an antimatter equivalent? "Dark antimatter"? And since dark matter doesn't interact with matter, I presume it wouldn't interact with antimatter??? (Or would it? Would it annihilate, which is a different interaction from EM force interaction???) Dark antimatter probably wouldn't interact with antimatter, and might also not interact with matter, nor with dark matter.

 

This doesn't help explain dark matter at all, but it might provide a possible explanation for why there seems to be so much more matter than antimatter in the universe. If all the antimatter is hiding in the form of dark antimatter, it might be possible that the total mass of matter equals the total mass of antimatter.

 

 

 

 

I would guess that dark antimatter (vs dark matter) would be as scarce as antimatter is vs. matter. However, if matter can be converted into dark matter and/or vice versa, then some version of the OP's conjecture might be tenable.

[Mandevu]

My speculation was: by virtue of its properties antimatter may put itself in a different space time to that of matter. This would explain why antimatter disappears (into another time zone?) whenever we try to manufacture it. If this were true then a large accumulation of antimatter may manifest itself to us as 'dark matter' - something which obviously exists as it effects gravity but cannot be directly detected. Or have I had one glass of wine too many?

[rigney]

Since you have gone thus far in describing the undescribable issues of dark matter and ant-imatter, why not include "anti-energy"?

[Mandevu]

Since you have gone thus far in describing the undescribable issues of dark matter and ant-imatter, why not include "anti-energy"?

 

I considered antimatter and dark matter because both have "mass". However, if "anti-energy" (or "black energy" for that matter) has relevance, why not? I just don't see where they fit in this speculation other than the possibility both may also exist in a different space time.

[md65536]

My speculation was: by virtue of its properties antimatter may put itself in a different space time to that of matter. This would explain why antimatter disappears (into another time zone?) whenever we try to manufacture it. If this were true then a large accumulation of antimatter may manifest itself to us as 'dark matter' - something which obviously exists as it effects gravity but cannot be directly detected. Or have I had one glass of wine too many?

I think the general idea's worth investigating, but I disagree with your details:

 

- The properties of antimatter are actually very similar to matter, in terms of visibility, behavior, mass, etc. The only thing different is charge, as far as I know.

- Antimatter annihilates with matter. If you are conjecturing that this involves moving to a different "time zone" or dimension or whatever, then what happens to the matter that is also annihilated? ALSO, annihilation releases a lot of energy, consistent with e=mc^2. Though it disappears, there's nothing missing when its gone.

- The properties of known antimatter are fairly well known. If a lot of dark matter is made up of antimatter, it's not made up of "regular" known antimatter. But I think that's okay; we don't know the properties of dark matter, and I don't see why it couldn't be antimatter or somehow related.

[rigney]

Not being attuned to Hi Tech in any capacity I stay puzzled. I've read much on Dark Matter and Dark Eenergy, yet nothing of proof to substantiate if either is more than a phantom. And if so; what? It's speculated there is no empty space in the universe and it is filled with something. But again, what?

 

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/dark_matter.html

Edited June 10, 2011 by rigney

[Mandevu]

Well, thanks for the feedback everyone! I think I'm going to let this speculation rest until I can bone up more on the latest theories regarding antimatter and dark matter. Must say though, the subject of TIME becomes more and more fascinating to me each day. I'll switch my attention to that!