ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Electron electric dipole moment

Okay kiddo, let me explain to you about electron electric dipole moment.

Every object in the world has a property called the electric charge. This is what makes them attract or repel each other. Electrons are tiny particles that orbit around atoms, and they have a negative electric charge. When electrons move, they create a tiny magnetic field or a dipole moment.

Now, imagine the electron as a tiny spinning top, where the axis it spins around is called the dipole moment. If the dipole moment is aligned with an electric field, the electron feels a force that tries to rotate it. The strength of this force depends on how strong the electric field is and how big the dipole moment is.

But wait, there's more!

Scientists have been studying the electron's dipole moment for many years, trying to find out if it's just a little bit off-center. If it is, it means the electron has a tiny electric dipole moment. This property could help us understand why the universe is made up mostly of matter and not antimatter.

But why is this important?

If we can measure the electron's electric dipole moment, we might be able to explain an unsolved mystery in physics. Scientists have observed that there's more matter than antimatter in the universe. And no one knows why.

So, scientists are measuring the electron electric dipole moment to try to solve this mystery. They believe that if the electric dipole moment is non-zero, it could help explain why there's more matter than antimatter.

I hope that helps you understand electron electric dipole moment a bit better!