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The birth of the microcosm: how did elementary particles form in the early universe?
Since the Big Bang, the time of the universe has been more than just endless vastness. Over the past 13.8 billion years, the Universe has undergone countless changes, the most striking of which is the formation of elementary particles. Such formation is not only the foundation of the universe's structure, but also the starting point for understanding all matter. Scientists are still exploring how elementary particles were formed in the early universe. From microscopic structures to the macroscopic universe, this is a journey full of mysteries.
At the beginning of the universe, the origin of all matter and energy must be traced back to the moment of the Big Bang, which was a period of great change and intense interaction.
The early days of the universe are often divided into several phases, the earliest of which are crucial for our understanding of the formation of elementary particles. When the universe was born, the concepts of time and space were probably being reshaped. The so-called Planck epoch was an extremely short period, which occurred about 10-43 after the Big Bang. /sup> seconds. During this period, the current laws of physics may not apply to describe the behavior of the universe. Then, over time, gravity and the four fundamental interactions became clear.
After the Planck epoch, as the Universe expanded and cooled, scientists speculate that a series of symmetry breakings may have occurred, which could explain the asymmetry between matter and antimatter we observe today.
Between about 10-36 seconds and 10-32 seconds, the Universe entered a process called the Electroweak epoch. At this stage, strong interactions and electroweak interactions began to separate, marking the initial formation of elementary particles. The importance of this period lies not only in its length, but also in the fact that it laid the foundation for the later particle structure.
The Universe went through a period called inflation, a period of rapid change in which the volume of the Universe increased by a great deal compared to its volume a few cosmic times ago. This process is not only the expansion of space, but also the release of energy, which is crucial for the production of elementary particles. At about 10-32 seconds, this expansion begins to slow down.
This period of rapid expansion not only caused changes in the distribution of particles, but was also the origin of the formation of the current large-scale structure of the universe.
As the universe expanded further, around 380,000 years ago, elementary particles began to aggregate into larger structures. Those tiny subatomic particles, including protons and neutrons, began to combine at this time, gradually evolving into more complex particle forms and adding possibilities for the later formation of galaxies. At this stage, the amount of matter that survived the process of matter and antimatter was in excess, making it the main component of the universe.
As time progressed to about 18,000 years ago, electrons began to combine with helium nuclei to form helium, a process that marked the beginning of the reorganization of the universe. About 370,000 years later, hydrogen atoms formed and the cosmic background radiation gradually became transparent. The microwave background radiation (CMB) at this time can still be observed in the universe today.
These early photons, as the universe's first messengers, tell us the true memory of the universe's existence.
After hundreds of thousands of years of dark tides, combined with the constantly shrinking and reorganizing matter, the gravity in the universe began to take effect, gradually forming a more complex structure. Around 200 million to 500 million years ago, the earliest galaxies and stars began to appear. These early celestial bodies not only provided elements for the subsequent formation of galaxies, but also injected new matter into the universe through supernova explosions.
Of course, the formation of elementary particles is only the beginning of the history of the universe. As more celestial bodies are created, gravity interacts with other fundamental forces, making the structure of the universe gradually deeper and richer. All this tells us that the universe is like a thick book, waiting to be filled with every page. Today's universe will continue to evolve over time, leaving more questions worth exploring.
The mysteries of the beginning of the universe have not yet been fully solved. We can only hope that future research will bring clearer answers to these difficult questions?
