自然杂志

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宇宙的起源、演化与相变

摆展   

  1. 中国科学院上海光学精密机械研究所,上海 201800

Origin, evolution and phase transitions of the Universe

BAI Zhan#br#   

  1. Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China

摘要: 本文以“温度驱动的相变”为核心线索,系统阐述了物质从低温到极高温条件下经历的一系列根本性转变,并将这些相变过程与宇宙早期演化历史相联系。文章首先探讨了温度升高引起的物理过程,包括固-液-气相变、等离子体相变、原子核液气相变、夸克退禁闭相变,以及电弱相变,大统一相变等。随后反转视角,回溯宇宙从极热初始状态冷却过程中经历的关键相变节点,包括可能的普朗克时期相变、暴涨、再加热、拓扑缺陷形成、电弱对称性破缺、夸克禁闭与原初核合成等。本文建立了微观粒子物理与宏观宇宙学的联系,揭示了相变如何重塑物质基本结构,并勾勒出宇宙演化的方向脉络。

关键词: 相变, 宇宙演化, 大爆炸, 对称性破缺, 夸克-胶子等离子体, 电弱相变, 原初核合成

Abstract: This article follows the central thread of temperature-driven phase transitions to introduce the sequence of fundamental changes that matter undergoes from low to extremely high temperatures, and connects these transitions to the early evolutionary history of the universe. We first discuss physical processes triggered by increasing temperature, including solid–liquid–gas transitions, plasma formation, the nuclear liquid–gas transition, quark deconfinement, and the electroweak and grand unification theory phase transition. We then reverse the perspective and trace key phase-transition milestones during the cooling of the universe from an extremely hot initial state, including a possible Planck-era transition, inflation, reheating, formation of topological defects, electroweak symmetry breaking, quark confinement, and big bang nucleosynthesis. This article bridges microscopic particle physics and macroscopic cosmology, showing how phase transitions reshape the basic structure of matter and outlining the direction of cosmic evolution.