Speaker
Description
We extrapolate today's magnetic properties of the Universe back to the electron-positron (e+e-) era to describe novel phenomena and self-magnetization. The cosmic e+e- plasma is the most recent era which could seed the residual large-scale extragalactic magnetic fields we see in the Universe today. This plasma epoch existed between temperatures 2 MeV > T > 0.02 MeV. We show that Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) fusion occurred amidst this dense e+e- plasma. This sets the stage for the recombination period which generates the cosmic microwave background (CMB). This epoch is unique as it is the last time antimatter existed in large quantities. Using the mean field approach, we explore statistical properties of e+e- plasma, search for conditions where ferromagnetism is favorable, and propose a mechanism for the assembly of magnetic domains via matter inhomogeneities. We suggest similar matter-antimatter plasmas may still exist in the cores of unusual stars.
