Supersymmetry

The concept of Supersymmetry hopes to relate all of the known forces, as well as all matter and energy into a unified, understandable system.

The basic assumption is that all four forces1, and all matter and energy emerged together from a common origin, at one time. The properties of the universe at this origin were so energetic, compact and dense that this would allow the four forces to be equivalent and equal in strength at that time. As the universe cooled and expanded, the symmetry between the four forces froze out, or became hidden in seemingly everyday realities.

Supersymmetry seeks to re-establish or at least detect (guess) the relationships which existed between the four forces.

Supersymmetry also seems to predict that there will be entire families of exotic and very massive particles, corresponding to a more energetic and massive generation in the particle families.

Another prediction from the supersymmetry theory is that the proton should decay. The basic lifetime of this particle, which had been assumed to be stable, would have to be over 1031 years. Experiments which have been running recently have disproved this hypothesis. The halflife of the proton must be significantly greater than the first attempts of Supersymmetry seem to allow.

See symmetry also.