Chapter 4 deals with the stability of the proton, hence of hydrogen, and how to reconcile that stability with the baryon number nonconservation (or baryon conservation) needed to establish a matter–antimatter imbalance in the infant universe. Sakharov’s three conditions for establishing a matter–antimatter imbalance are presented. Grand unified theories and experimental searches for proton decay are described. The concept of spontaneous symmetry breaking is introduced in describing the electroweak phase transition in the infant universe. That transition is treated as the potential site for introducing the imbalance between quarks and antiquarks, via either baryogenesis or leptogenesis models. The up–down quark mass difference is presented as essential for providing the stability of hydrogen and of the deuteron, which serves as a crucial stepping stone in stellar hydrogen-burning reactions that generate the energy and elements needed for life. Constraints on quark masses from lattice QCD calculations and violations of chiral symmetry are discussed.
Grand unified theories and proton decay
