Boson Definition and 371 Threads

In quantum mechanics, a boson (, ) is a particle that follows Bose–Einstein statistics. Bosons make up one of two classes of elementary particles, the other being fermions. The name boson was coined by Paul Dirac to commemorate the contribution of Satyendra Nath Bose, an Indian physicist and professor of physics at University of Calcutta and at University of Dhaka in developing, with Albert Einstein, Bose–Einstein statistics, which theorizes the characteristics of elementary particles.Examples of bosons are fundamental particles such as photons, gluons, and W and Z bosons (the four force-carrying gauge bosons of the Standard Model), the recently discovered Higgs boson, and the hypothetical graviton of quantum gravity. Some composite particles are also bosons, such as mesons and stable nuclei of even mass number such as deuterium (with one proton and one neutron, atomic mass number = 2), helium-4, and lead-208; as well as some quasiparticles (e.g. Cooper pairs, plasmons, and phonons).An important characteristic of bosons is that there is no restriction on the number of them that occupy the same quantum state. This property is exemplified by helium-4 when it is cooled to become a superfluid. Unlike bosons, two identical fermions cannot occupy the same quantum state. Whereas the elementary particles that make up matter (i.e. leptons and quarks) are fermions, the elementary bosons are force carriers that function as the 'glue' holding matter together. This property holds for all particles with integer spin (s = 0, 1, 2, etc.) as a consequence of the spin–statistics theorem.
When a gas of Bose particles is cooled down to temperatures very close to absolute zero, then the kinetic energy of the particles decreases to a negligible amount, and they condense into the lowest energy level state. This state is called a Bose–Einstein condensate. This property is also the explanation for superfluidity.

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  1. Safinaz

    W Boson Propagator in Unitary Gauge

    Hi there, As in Ta-Pei Cheng and Li's book for example the W boson propagator is given by : ## \frac{-i}{k^2-M^2} [g_{\mu\nu}+ (\zeta-1) k_\mu k_\nu/(k^2 - \zeta M^2)] ## At the unitary gauge ## \zeta = \infty ##, where the W propagator becomes : ## \frac{-i}{k^2-M^2} [g_{\mu\nu}- k_\mu...
  2. T

    Determining Gauge Boson Energy & Spin: Formulas Involved

    How does scientist determines the energy of gauge boson or its spin? Is there any formulas involve?
  3. P

    Basic question: Propagator of a scalar boson

    I have a question that is very basic and could not seem to find it online or I have not searched the right way. What is the propagator of a scalar boson? I found that of a fermion line and that of a vector boson but could not find that of a scalar boson.
  4. P

    Neutral intermediate boson to neutrinos are flavor preserving

    Hey guys! How can this sentence be explained and what does it mean? If the couplings $$Z\nu_{\alpha}\bar{\nu}_{\beta}$$ of the neutral intermediate boson to neutrinos are flavor preserving, they are also diagonal when expressed in terms of mass eigenstates $$Z\nu_{i}\bar{\nu}_{j}.$$
  5. A

    Simple question on W boson decay products

    Hi, I'm working on an assignment in which the following reaction takes place: \nu_e e^- \rightarrow \nu_e e^- And I'm wondering whether its possible to have an electron neutrino and an electron annihilate to form a W^- boson, after which that boson decays into a \nu_e e^- pair...
  6. jim mcnamara

    Did Homer Simpson Accurately Calculate the Mass of the Higgs Boson?

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/03/homer-simpson-higgs-boson_n_6793204.html?utm_hp_ref=media&ir=Media According to Simon Singh, in a 1998 episode the writers of the Simpsons had Homer in front of blackboard with a supposedly accurate calculation of the mass of the Higgs boson. Hmm...
  7. Mentz114

    Is the Moon a Boson? Astronomy & Quantum Spin Explained

    This could be an astronomically stupid question but I cannot think of a sensible answer. What is the sum of all the quantum spins of all the particles that make up the moon ? If it was a whole number I suppose the answer would be 'yes'.
  8. Trevor Hulette

    Higgs Boson: Decay, Proton Remnants & Detection

    I am concerned about the idea of decay of HB... when two photons collide in Hadron .. exploding outward.. as the proton remnants leave trails in the field surrounding .. revealing a smaller particle field which quickly disappear... My contemplations lead me to think they do NOT quickly decay...
  9. Q

    Does the Higgs Boson Have an Antimatter Counterpart?

    Does the Higgs boson have an antimatter version, and does anything allow it to. If it exists then how does it react with baryonic matter?
  10. Q

    What does "the Higgs Boson destroys itself" means?

    I was reading a book that said the Higgs Boson destroys itself within trillionth of a second, I really did not understand this, so what does it mean?
  11. mokeejoe5

    Understanding the Weak Interaction: What Causes It & What is Its Range?

    Recently it struck me that I'm not sure I understand the weak interaction at all. What causes it to happen? I know that its mediated by the W and Z bosons and has a short range as a result of the large mass these bosons posses, but what does that range refer to? Range from what?!
  12. C

    Non equilibrium boson distribution function

    In statistical mechanics the boson distribution function has the well known form ##f = \frac{1}{e^{E/T} - 1},## (in the special case of zero chemical potential). As one considers the non-equilibrium variant this generalize to ##f = \frac{1}{e^{\frac{E}{T(1+ \Theta)}} - 1},## for some function...
  13. Safinaz

    CMS public results for Higgs boson

    Hi all, I read one of the CMS results for new charged Higgs on : https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/CMSPublic/Hig14020TWiki I can't understand this sentence at the main results: What does it mean? is that constrains the theoretical calculations of sigma(pp -> H+- tb) to be 0.41-0.030 pb...
  14. G

    Plane wave expansion of massive vector boson

    I'm trying to derive Feynman rules for massive vector boson and its antiparticle. It all boils down to plane wave expansion of the bosons which atm is a little bit confusing. Should I account for two different set of ladder operators (as in the case of complex KG or spinors, cf Peskin&Schröder...
  15. C

    Can a W+ boson couple to a W- boson?

    Can a W+ boson couple to a W- boson? Say, if a Higgs decays into a W+ and a W-, what would be the Lagrangian density for this interaction? How would you evaluate such a first order diagram?
  16. arivero

    Higgs Field with SB but without Higgs Boson?

    Hi, I was searching for some example of a theory where all the components of the higgs field are "eaten" by the vector gauge fields and no Higgs boson is left. I have just checked Georgi-Glashow SO(3) --> U(1), but they use a triplet Higgs so at the end again a Higgs Boson does appear. Is it...
  17. P

    Relativistic Particle Decay of Higgs Boson

    Homework Statement A Higgs boson has mass 125 GeV/c2, decaying into a pair of Z bosons, mass 91 GeV/c2. In the lab frame, one of the Z bosons is at rest. Determine the kinetic energy for the other Z boson in this laboratory frame. Homework Equations E = γmc2 γ=1/√(1-β2) The Attempt at a...
  18. ChrisVer

    Higgs Boson Discovery: Find CMS & ATLAS Papers Here

    I am looking for the famous CMS and ATLAS papers which announced the discovery of a new boson particle... Could someone help me by posting the link here?
  19. ChrisVer

    Vector Boson Propagator and gauge

    Well I'm trying to understand the difference between these propagators: \frac{g_{\mu \nu}}{k^{2} - m^2 + i \epsilon} and \frac{g_{\mu \nu}+ \frac{ k_{\mu} k_{\nu}}{m^{2}}}{k^{2} - m^2 + i \epsilon} My professor told me that they are different gauges, and the from the second you rule out...
  20. S

    Understanding W-Boson Decay: Electron & Anti-Neutrino Formation

    How W- boson decay into electron and anti neutrino?
  21. J

    What is the gauge boson for magnetism and its relation to electricity?

    I always thought that magnetism was the exact same thing as electricity because of SR. That's probably why I am confused about the search for a magnetic monopole, as well as the classical view of light being perpendicular magnetic and electric fields. So I have a few questions. 1. What is the...
  22. spacecadet11

    Is a Higgs Boson Related to the Higgs Field?

    Hello. I am an amateur. Is a Higgs boson to the Higgs field the same as an Electron(oops boson)to the electric field? Thx SC
  23. spacecadet11

    Exploring the Mechanism of the Higgs Boson and Its Potential Control

    Hello. Since the Higgs Boson is responsible for giving sub-atomic particles mass..or any particles there mass..is there a present understanding of the mechanism by which the field actually does this? And if there is...is there any artificial way of controlling it? My thinking is that if you...
  24. R

    Exploring the Charge-less Boson of the Electromagnetic Force

    Why is it that the boson for the electromagnetic force does not have a charge? I apologize if this question is rudimentary, as all of you guys are WAY out of my league. Thanks!
  25. Safinaz

    Couplings of sfermions to h Higgs boson

    Hi all, I try to find the detailed calculations of the couplings of sfermions to the lightest h Higgs boson in MSSM, I want to reach Equ. (1.109) in [arXiv:hep-ph/0503173], Do you know any useful reference ? Bests, S.S.
  26. T

    Is Higgs Boson Theoretical or Hypothetical?

    I had an argument at my university about it, since experiments at LHC aren't 100% confirmed. I mean, gauge theories are.. theories and Goldstone bosons are theorems. Someone share some light plese?
  27. tlnarasimham

    In the standard model gravitron is a particle but Higgs boson is not?

    In the standard model gravitron is a particle but Higgs boson is not. The Higgs field causes particles to acquire mass. Mass generates a gravitation field. Is gravitron is in any way related to Higgs boson? Is the Higgs field any way related to gravitation field?
  28. N

    Can the Z Boson Change Particle Flavors?

    I have read that the Z boson cannot change the flavour of a particle. So my assumption is that an interaction such as: usanti -> udanti + Z Is not possible, is this correct?
  29. ChrisVer

    How Does High Temperature Affect Boson Number Density in Quantum Statistics?

    Homework Statement Show that the number density for bosons if T (temperature) >>μ (chemical energy) is: n= \frac{ζ(3)}{\pi^{2}} gT^{3} (T>>m too) Homework Equations n= \frac{g}{2 \pi^{2}} \int_{m}^{∞} f(E) (E^{2}-m^{2})^{1/2} EdE f(E)= \frac{1}{e^{\frac{E-μ}{T}} -1} ζ(s)= \frac{1}{Γ(s)}...
  30. Q

    Proving that an alpha particle is a boson

    1. Is there any way to prove that the alpha particle is a boson (its total wave function is symmetric), given that it's made up of two protons (fermions) and two neutrons (fermions)? Homework Equations The total wave function for two identical particles that are (bosons) ψ_tot = 1/√2 * (ψ_a...
  31. J

    What are the quantum numbers of the Higgs boson?

    Hi everyone, I have studied QFT, the SM and the Higgs mechanism when I was in university and after reading an article from CMS (CERN) about the spin-parity measurement of the HZZ channel, which shows that J^{P}=0^+ is favoured versus J^{P}=0^-, I went back to the theory of the Higgs boson...
  32. ChrisVer

    Massive Vector Boson E.o.M.: Minimize Action & Lorentz Gauge?

    Starting from the Lagrangian density: L= -\frac{1}{4}F_{\mu\nu}F^{\mu\nu} + \frac{m^{2}}{2} B_{\mu}B^{\mu} we can derive the E.o.M. for the field B which read: ( \partial^{2} + m^{2}) B^{\mu} - \partial^{\mu} (\partial B) = 0 In the case of a massive field, I am not sure how I can kill out...
  33. D

    Parition function for Boson gas with two quantum numbers

    Parition function for Boson "gas" with two quantum numbers Let's say that we have a system of non-interacting Bosons with single-particle energies given by, \epsilon_{p,m} = \frac{p^2}{2m} + \alpha m where m = -j, ... ,j and we want to calculate the partition function of this...
  34. S

    What is the Ziggs boson and why is it important?

    What is Professor Susskind talking about when he refers to the Ziggs boson? Is ziggs simply a Z boson with the weak hypercharge or something else? Sussan
  35. A

    Creating Higgs Boson: Mass & Energy Needed?

    from what I understand, the higgs boson is basically a wave in the higgs field. I understand that they have a lot of mass, but are they hard to create? are there higgs bosons flying past us every time electrons moves through wires, or do they require intense energy to be created?
  36. A

    Why Do Fermion and Boson Operators Commute?

    For bosons we define states as eg. ln> = l1 0 1 ... > where the numbers denote how many particles belong to the j'th orbital. And similarly for fermions. We then define creation and anihillation operators which raise and lower the number of particles in the j'th orbital: c_j...
  37. F

    Higgs Boson Confusion: Answers to Your Questions

    Hi, please could someone kindly answer a few questions regarding the higgs boson. Everywhere I read about this topic I seem constantly faced with information that is not consistent. I have focused on sources (mainly YouTube videos) of well known physicists and other Physics Forum threads in an...
  38. P

    Entanglement of Higgs boson to explain dark energy

    Sorry in advance for this probably stupid question. If there is entanglement is there not entaglement for all particles. If so, could there not be entanglement for the Higgs boson, and therefore our own gravity, could have an equal and opposite force, both combining for a net effect of...
  39. D

    Higgs-Boson Particle Explained in Layman's Terms for Jonas

    Hello my name is Jonas. I don't understand what the Higgs-Boson particle is and what its significance is. Could someone explain this to me in laymens terms so I know what I am looking for to do further study on this. Just message me. Thanks and have a good day...Jonas
  40. kmm

    Is the higgs boson the mediator of the higgs field?

    I'm a little confused about whether the higgs boson is the mediator of the higgs field. I haven't had a chance to study in depth the higgs field theory, but I have tried finding information from seemingly reliable sources and there are some apparent contradictions. I watched Leonard Susskinds...
  41. J

    Simulation of pp-collision and Z boson production

    Hi all, I have a question about simulating (Monte Carlo) proton-proton collisions resulting in, for example, a Z boson. Assume two quarks (quark and antiquark) from each proton collide head-on along the z-axis. The quark momenta are distributed according to the Parton Density Functions...
  42. N

    Uncovering the Truth: The Search for the Higgs Boson Particle

    I heard from a few sources that the Higgs Boson particle probably doesn't exist, is this true? If so, what does this mean for the Big Bang theory? And how did it start the Big Bang theoretically anyway? If not, what have the scientists at the LHC found? Is it the standard model Higgs, or...
  43. ChrisVer

    Why Do W and Z Bosons Have Different Masses?

    I would like to ask you 2 completely separate questions... Since both concern the W,Zs I don't want to create more than one post (that could be spamming)... 1. what are the consequences (theoretically and experimentally) ,if there are, of the fact that the masses of W and Z bosons don't match...
  44. C

    How Does the Mass of the Bottom Quark Affect Z Boson Decay Calculations?

    Hello everyone, I have read about the theoretical values of the Z boson decay partial width and how well they agreed with experiment. However there is something I do not quite understand: since these theoretical calculations were performed with the hypothesis that the masses of the decay...
  45. TrickyDicky

    Higgs boson semantic questions

    The first question is why it is sometimes called the "Higgs meson"?-even by its discoverers, see recent controversy about the particle's name and the proposal to call it "standard model scalar meson", isn't a meson a composite particle while the particle detected by the LHC supposed to be...
  46. Z

    Higgs boson decays to Bottom/Anti-Bottom then what?

    The charts at CERN show calculations that a 126 GeV Higgs boson is expected to decay to a bottom/anti-bottom quark combination 56% of the time. Do they mean as an Upsilon Meson which decays in a certain pattern according to the wiki meson decay charts? Or, do they mean independent bottom and...
  47. N

    One quick question about Higgs boson and supersymmetry

    Peter Higgs is going to get a Nobel prize for physics, since Higgs boson's existence was confirmed in the experiments in CERN. But I do have some questions: I read the following, but I'm not qualified to say if this is true or not, so I'm asking you for help, and if the following statement is...
  48. ZapperZ

    MOOC on The Discovery of the Higgs Boson

    MOOC on "The Discovery of the Higgs Boson" The University of Edinburgh is offering a massive online open course on "The Discovery of the Higgs Boson" to the public. This is a 7-week course, with 2 hours per week of online presentation. After this, there should be no more whining from people...
  49. C

    Did the Higgs Boson boost undergraduate physics enrollment?

    I am writing about some crazy hypothesis I have about the impact the quest for the Higgs Boson, thereafter designated as HB, might have had on the number of people who declared physics majors during the years following its discovery. The preliminary data I have concerns two universities in my...
  50. DennisN

    Particle Fever: Exploring the Search for the Higgs Boson

    There's a recent (released?) documentary called "Particle Fever" about the search for the Higgs boson. I'm not sure if it's been released yet. Has anyone seen it yet? Some info: Particle Fever editor Walter Murch: 'The Higgs boson is kind of a MacGuffin' David Kaplan Explains why the...
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