What is the Matter-Antimatter Asymmetry Problem?

Question

So what is the matter-antimatter asymmetry problem and why is it of such importance?

Answer 1

The matter-antimatter asymmetry problem refers to the big question that one can ask because at least theoretically the big bang should have created equal parts of matter and antimatter but the Universe is matter dominated, why? This question is important because matter and antimatter should come into contact and destroy each other, why does it happen that we find ourselves in a universe with matter? In order to understand how the universe and ourselves really work, it is important to understand why this ‘asymmetry’ took place in the first place.

Comments

The matter antimatter imbalance has always fascinated me. I'd theorised that it didn't exist actually and have asked about this. The silly example I used was the light from an antimatter star would look the same as regular light from a "normal" star, so how is it KNOWN that the Coma cluster, is not an antimatter environment. I have received a few replies, but when I pointed out holes in them, the replies died away. I'd really like someone like Brian to expand on this "imbalance".