In the first fractions of a second after the Big Bang lingers a question at the heart of our very existence: why does the universe contain matter but almost no antimatter? The laws of physics tell us that equal amounts of matter and antimatter were produced in the early universe—but then something odd happened. Matter won out over antimatter; had it not, the universe today would be dark and barren. But how and when did this occur? In The Mystery of the Missing Antimatter, Helen Quinn and Yossi Nir guide readers into the very heart of this mystery—and along the way offer an exhilarating grand tour of cutting-edge physics.

As we know that when the Universe was starting, Matter and Anti-Matter were made in equal quantity, then in today's time we get to see only Matter all around us, where did that Anti-Matter go. This question remains a mystery till date. So in this book, I have first collected the definitions of Antimatter from various mediums and have written them first and after that I have presented the answer to what was called Anti Matter on the basis of my research, which is the last topic of this book.

This book introduces the world of antimatter without using technical language or equations. The author shows how the quest for symmetry in physics slowly revealed the properties of antimatter. When large particle accelerators came on line, the antimatter debris of collisions provided new clues on its properties. This is a fast-paced and lucid account of how science fiction became fact.

'Overall, the text is very well written in a style that is precise yet easy to understand and interesting to follow … It does not refer to scientific or other publications or suggest further reading, but is completely self-contained. This makes it highly accessible for non-experts. It is intended for ‘serious readers with some general background knowledge in physics, although no specialist knowledge is required’. And it can indeed be recommended to any reader with a scientific interest in the subject, and also as a good recreational read for experts. This is even more true due to the excellent quality of the paper and the print, and the nice format and overall making of the book.'Contemporary PhysicsEach elementary particle contained within every known substance has an almost identical twin called its antiparticle. Existing data clearly indicate that equal numbers of particles and antiparticles were initially created soon after the birth of the universe. Despite this, all objects around us, as well as all the stars in all the known galaxies, are made of particles, while antiparticles have almost completely vanished. The reasons behind this disappearance are not yet fully known. Uncovering them will allow us to not only penetrate much deeper into the structure of matter, but also to understand the secret mechanisms that determine the genesis and development of our immense universe. That is why explaining the mystery of the missing antimatter is currently considered to be one of the main tasks of particle physics.This book tells the story of all the achievements in solving the problem of the missing antiparticles including the latest developments in the field. It is written by Prof. Guennadi Borissov, an international expert in this subject. It is intended for serious readers with some general background knowledge in physics, although no specialist knowledge is required. All phenomena observed in the microworld of particles are explained in simple terms using well-known examples from ordinary life. Starting with a description and discussion of the main properties of particles and antiparticles, the book details the important stages in the research that has brought scientists closer to solving one of the greatest enigmas of nature.

Antimatter consists of particles that are mirror images of those of matter. And should a particle of antimatter meet its matter counterpart, both are annihilated in a spectacular burst of energy. Science fiction? No, science fact.

Antimatter explores a strange mirror world, where particles have identical yet opposite properties to those that make up the familiar matter we encounter everyday; where left becomes right, positive becomes negative; and where, should matter and antimatter meet, the two annihilate in a blinding flash of energy that makes even thermonuclear explosions look feeble by comparison. It is an idea long beloved of science-fiction stories - but here, renowned science writer Frank Close shows that the reality of antimatter is even more fascinating than the fiction itself. We know that once, antimatter and matter existed in perfect counterbalance, and that antimatter then perpetrated a vanishing act on a cosmic scale that remains one of the greatest mysteries of the universe. Today, antimatter does not exist normally, at least on Earth, but we know that it is real for scientists are now able to make small pieces of it in particle accelerators, such as that at CERN in Geneva. Looking at the remarkable prediction of antimatter and how it grew from the meeting point of relativity and quantum theory in the early 20th century, at the discovery of the first antiparticles, at cosmic rays, annihilation, antimatter bombs, and antiworlds, Close separates the facts from the fiction about antimatter, and explains how its existence can give us profound clues about the origins and structure of the universe.

“A great read… Goldberg is an excellent guide.”—Mario Livio, bestselling author of The Golden Ratio Physicist Dave Goldberg speeds across space, time and everything in between showing that our elegant universe—from the Higgs boson to antimatter to the most massive group of galaxies—is shaped by hidden symmetries that have driven all our recent discoveries about the universe and all the ones to come. Why is the sky dark at night? If there is anti-matter, can there be anti-people? Why are past, present, and future our only options? Saluting the brilliant but unsung female mathematician Emmy Noether as well as other giants of physics, Goldberg answers these questions and more, exuberantly demonstrating that symmetry is the big idea—and the key to what lies ahead.