Grand unification

epoch

In physical cosmology, assuming that

nature is described by a Grand Unified
Theory, the grand unification epoch was
the period in the evolution of the early
universe following the Planck epoch,
starting at about 10−43 seconds after the
Big Bang, in which the temperature of the
universe was comparable to the
characteristic temperatures of grand
unified theories. If the grand unification
energy is taken to be 1015 GeV, this
corresponds to temperatures higher than
1027 K. During this period, three of the four
fundamental interactions—
electromagnetism, the strong interaction,
and the weak interaction—were unified as
the electronuclear force. Gravity had
separated from the electronuclear force at
the end of the Planck era. During the grand
unification epoch, physical characteristics
such as mass, charge, flavour and colour
charge were meaningless.

The grand unification epoch ended at

approximately 10−36 seconds after the Big
Bang. At this point several key events took
place. The strong force separated from the
other fundamental forces. It is possible
that some part of this decay process
violated the conservation of baryon
number and gave rise to a small excess of
matter over antimatter (see baryogenesis).
This phase transition is also thought to
have triggered the process of cosmic
inflation that dominated the development
of the universe during the following
inflationary epoch.

See also
Big Bang
Chronology of the universe
 Ultimate fate of the universe

References
Allday, Jonathan (2001). Quarks, Leptons
and the Big Bang. Institute of Physics
Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7503-0806-9.

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