Is The Universal Matter - Antimatter Asymmetry Fine Tuned?

TL;DR

The paper reviews the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe, analyzing its fine tuning and implications for cosmology and life, concluding it is not finely tuned within a wide range of values.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of the baryon asymmetry parameter's range and argues it is not finely tuned for life, challenging previous assumptions.

Findings

The baryon asymmetry parameter is not fine-tuned for life.

Variations in the parameter do not significantly affect the universe's habitability.

The observed value is much smaller than natural expectations, but not uniquely constrained.

Abstract

The asymmetry between matter and antimatter is key to the existence and nature of our Universe. A measure of the matter - antimatter asymmetry of the Universe is provided by the present value of the universal ratio of baryons (baryons minus antibaryons) to photons (or the ratio of baryons to entropy). The baryon asymmetry parameter is an important physical and cosmological parameter. But how fine tuned is it? A "natural" value for this parameter is zero, corresponding to equal amounts of matter and antimatter. Another, also possibly natural, choice for this dimensionless parameter would be of order unity, corresponding to nearly equal amounts (by number) of matter (and essentially no antimatter) and photons in every comoving volume. However, observations suggest that in the Universe we inhabit the value of this parameter is nonzero, but smaller than this natural value by some nine to ten orders of magnitude. In this contribution we review the evidence that our Universe does not contain equal amounts of matter and antimatter. Any change in the magnitude of the baryon asymmetry parameter necessarily leads to a universe with physical characteristics different from those in our own. The degree of fine tuning in the baryon asymmetry parameter is determined by the width of the range over which it can be varied and still allow for the existence of life. Our results suggest that the baryon asymmetry parameter can be varied over a very wide range without impacting the prospects for life; this result is not suggestive of fine tuning. [abridged]