can natural antihydrogen exist?

igor_at_bigbang.richmond.edu
Date: 03/27/05 

Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2005 04:07:38 +0000 (UTC)

Ever since Dirac's particle-antiparticle theory for charged and in
particular for a pair of charge-conjugated particles was extended or
generalized to neutral particles (like atoms), the idea has persisted
that even this not-charge-conjugated neutral atom-antiatom pair should
annihilate.
The stringent problem is therefore to verify if the charge-distribution
within a neutral atomic system has a natural degree of freedom for
intra-atomic charge-inversion or not.
>>From the standpoint of theoretical physicists, the conventional belief,
if not the dogma, is that this degree of freedom does not exist in
nature. Hence, the dogma is is that charge-inverted atoms, i.e.
anti-atoms cannot exist in nature.
Unfortunately, it is only for nature itself to decide on this issue in
a conclusive manner, which requires a certain kind of humility,
apparently unknown to the conventional physics establishment.
When looking closely into the details of atomic line and molecular band
spectra for atomic hydrogen and molecular hydrogen respectively instead
of rushing to the theoretical blackboard, it appears that intra-atomic
charge-inversion is a natural degree of freedom. The atom-antiatom pair
does not annihilate, instead it forms a stable (chemical) bond.
The long road to arrive at this conclusion was just published in the
March issue of Eur Phys J D, 32, 299 (2005).
Given the importance of this problem, this message is posted in this
group for further consideration and for criticism without prejudices.
Have a nice Easter