Ambiplasma
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In the history of physical cosmology an ambiplasma is a hypothetical plasma containing a mixture of both matter and antimatter. This concept was developed as an alternative to the Big Bang theory. In this concept, the universe has always existed and has no "point" origin. Ambiplasma takes the form of proton-antiprotons (heavy ambiplasma) and electrons-positrons (light ambiplasma). Essentially the universe contains heavy symmetric ambiplasma with protective light ambiplasma, separated by the Leidenfrost effect.
Ambiplasmas can be relatively long-lived, as the component particles and antiparticles are too hot and too low-density to annihilate with each other rapidly. Ambiplasma is affected by condensing gravity waves and other expansive radiation pressures. The universe undergoes expansion and contraction frames, over trillions of years, producing heavy ambiplasma (by the quantum flux on space-time) and light ambiplasma in the alternating phase. As matter and antimatter interact and annihilate, more electrons and positrons (among other radiations) are produced.
The concept originally was developed by Hannes Alfven in 1965 in his book Worlds-Antiworlds, and extended by Oskar Klein in 1971. It is called the symmetric Alfven-Klein model. The theory has generally fallen in disfavour,[citation needed] as precision measurements of the large scale structure of the universe are in fine agreement with the Lambda-CDM model of the Big Bang model.[citation needed]
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[edit] Alfvén's Ambiplasma Theory
Alfvén proposed the first well-developed plasma cosmology model in 1965.[citation needed] In his model, the universe exists as a mixture of matter and antimatter which he called "ambiplasma". The cellular regions of matter and antimatter can mutually annihilate, leaving only photons. This can cause a rapid expansion of the region local to the annihilation, which Alfven considered as a possible explanation for the observed apparent expansion of the universe. The Alfvén model deals with the problem of cancellation explained above by postulating that the regions of matter and anti-matter are larger than the presently observable universe, and are separated by double-layers in the plasma.
[edit] Analysis of Alfvén's model
Alfvén postulated that the universe has always existed, and that the expansion we might now be seeing is merely a local phase of a much larger history. He also proposed that the bubble of matter we are in is larger than the observable universe.
Unfortunately, from a theoretical point of view, there remain a number of problems with Alfvén's model. Alfvén did not formalize his model to the point where it is possible to perform numerical simulations similar to those now routinely performed to model the behaviour of early galaxies in the standard cosmology and which are used to predict the correlation function of the universe. Instead, Alfvén outlined a very general view of how galaxies are disc-generators. He was quite unconcerned with conforming his model so that it can make the same predictions as the Big Bang.
From an observational point of view, the gamma rays emitted by even small amounts of matter/antimatter annihilation should be easily visible using gamma ray telescopes. However, such gamma rays have not been observed. This could be resolved by proposing, as Alfvén did, that the bubble of matter we are in is larger than the observable universe. In order to test such a model, some signature of the ambiplasma would have to be looked for in current observations, and this requires that the model be formalized to the point where detailed quantitative predictions can be made. This has not been accomplished.
[edit] References
- Alfvén, Hannes, "Worlds-Antiworlds: Antimatter in Cosmology". San Francisco and London, 1966.
