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. N

    Why the carrying force fields must be the fields of Boson particles?

    Please teach me this: Why carrying force particles must be Bosons and matter particles must be Fermions?By the way,why do we concentrate on Gauge Symmetries?Is it correct that is because the Gauge theories lead to vector Bosons that carrying forces? Thank you very much for your kind helping.
  2. E

    Exploring the Possible Role of the Higgs Boson in Gravity

    If the Higgs gives mass, wouldn't the Higgs give gravity too? If it exists that is.
  3. P

    Question regarding Higgs boson

    Hi to all, I am an electrical engineer so my knowledge about "heavy" physics is somewhat limited. I like reading about ( only superficially ) this "heavy" physics so I am puzzled about something and I need your help. Is Higgs boson strongly related with Higgs mechanism? We all know that...
  4. S

    Exploring the Role of Pions as Goldstone Bosons in Quantum Field Theory

    I'm reading Zee book on quantum field theory. He wants to explain that pion is the goldstone boson arising from the spontaneous symmetry breaking of the chiral symmetry. So he start with the weak decay \pi^{-} \rightarrow \bar{\nu} + e^{-} and write this equation <0|J^{\mu}_{5}|k>=f k^{\mu}...
  5. 1

    Interaction with the Higgs Boson

    Do we already know enough about the Higgs to be certain that we cannot interact with it(i.e. exert any type of control over it, like we can with electrons) or is there room for discovery there? I was just pondering some implications of such an ability, and realized that I don't know if the...
  6. R

    You're all wrong about the Higgs boson This is how it really works

    Somehow stumbled across this website Can't tell if it's made by a real physicist as a joke/parody or by someone who was dropped a few too many times. It looks like a lot of effort went into those diagrams though...
  7. 1

    First steps after the Higgs Boson

    The standard model predicts, and relies on, the higgs boson. We have not witnessed it yet, because the energies required to do so were beyond us in the past. Current models predict, however, that (if the Higgs Boson exists) CERN WILL see it. I know its still early, but CERN hasn't turned up...
  8. K

    Does String Theory Necessitate the Existence of Multiple Higgs Bosons?

    I read an interesting article http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-does-the-higgs-boson which says that string theory seems to require our world to have a property called supersymmetry and also, I have heard that the supersymmetry requires the eexistence of at least 5 Higgs...
  9. M

    Particle Physics: Why are Mesons a type of Gauge Boson?

    If a Meson is a Hadron that contains a Quark and an Anti-Quark which are both Fermions then why are Mesons a type of Gauge Boson?
  10. S

    Exploring the Possibility of the Higgs Boson Being a Wave

    Why must it be a particle? I mean, if sub-atomic particles act as a wave and a particle why can't the higgs? Maybe the only reason we can't detect it is because we're looking for the particle and not the wave? Can someone please elaborate on this.
  11. V

    The Outcome of W+ and W- Boson Collision

    I was just wondering, what would happen when a W+ boson and a W- boson collide?
  12. B

    Exploring the Higgs Boson: A Deeper Look

    I vaguely know the Higgs boson and how it possibly explains how mass doesn't dissipate. However, I need a more in-depth explanation, preferably not Wikipedia's, about it. Thank you!
  13. G

    Has Fermilab "Shot Down" Higgs Boson Theory?

    I've read a couple articles about the recent incident at fermilab last week about them overlooking something. The Dzero team found something they missed. Well in the end it is said that the odds of the "god particle" being real have significantly gone down due to the results of this last...
  14. V

    Superposition betweeen Boson and Fermion

    Is it possible to put a Boson and Fermion in superposition? If not possible, why not?
  15. S

    Are all transfer in energy a result of Boson interactions?

    Sorry if I posted this in the wrong forum, to me it looks like this forum is for high energy, nuclear, OR particle physics. I was wondering if anybody could help me with this. I was trying to ask my teacher about the nature of energy transfer, and she said something that I really believe is...
  16. D

    A fermion oscillator interacted with a boson oscillator

    It is known to all that the Hamiltonin H=p^2/m+x^2 can describe the boson and fermion particle, but how can embody the fermion properties when a fermion oscillator interacted with a boson oscillator? what is their interaction form?
  17. N

    Geometry of Space-Time, Mass & Speed: Higgs Boson

    How does moving at near the speed of light affect the geometry of space-time? How does an object increase in mass in relation to its speed? Does this have to with more collisions with the theoretical Higgs boson?
  18. G

    Higgs Boson & Graviton: Same or Different?

    Is the Higgs boson and the Graviton two descriptions of the same thing?
  19. D

    Relation between Higgs boson and graviton

    The graviton (spin 2) and the Higgs boson (spin 0) are both involved in gravity. The Higgs carrying mass, and the graviton carrying the gravitational interaction. On the internet I red that a lot of people wonder if there is a connection. In electroweak interaction the forces are carried by...
  20. D

    Finding Range of Weak Interaction from Mass of Z Boson

    Homework Statement One of the mediators of the weak interactions is the Z boson, which has a mass of 91 GeV/c 2. Use this information to find an approximate value for the range of the weak interaction. Homework Equations This is the part that I am having trouble with. I don't know where to...
  21. Thinkor

    Questions About W Bosons: Speed, Isolation & Existence

    Has the speed of W (or Z) bosons ever been measured? I presume not, because I have read they exist for only about 10^-25 seconds. So, how is it known that they are not charged particles that move at the speed of light, with energy, but no mass, like photons? Have they ever been isolated...
  22. D

    Net Effect of Z Boson on Charged Particles

    I was always wondering, on very short distances/high energies, what is a net effect of having not one (gamma) but two (gamma and Z) 'carriers' for the 'force' between 2 charged particles. Does it make an interaction sronger or not?
  23. A

    Understanding W Boson Decay: Exploring Quark Pair Possibilities

    Hey Guys, Just a quick question. Can a W boson decay to a u and anti s or does it have to decay to a quark and anti-quark of the same generation? Thanks!
  24. F

    A good video on the Higgs Boson

  25. M

    Many Boson Wavefunction (Non-Interacting)

    For a system of N bosons that are non interacting, the wavefunction is given by: SQRT[1/N!.n_1!.n_2!.n_3!...] SUM P. A_1.A_2.A_3...A_N Where the sum runs to N! and the P is the permutation operator, swapping 2 particles at a time. n_i is the number of particles in the nth energy state...
  26. Feeble Wonk

    Every known boson and fermion has a corresponding anti-particle

    Please take a moment to help enlighten a poor ignorant layperson. My understanding is that every known boson and fermion has a corresponding anti-particle, with the only exception being the photon. If true, can anyone explain WHY that that is?
  27. S

    How Does the Bose-Einstein Distribution Apply to Photon and Massive Boson Gases?

    Homework Statement I want to apply the Bose Einstein distribution, firstly to a photon gas and then, to a massive boson. Homework Equations Bose Einstein distribution The Attempt at a Solution How do I begin?
  28. N

    Is There a Boson for Magnetic Force in Quantum Mechanics?

    I understand the laws for electricity and magnetism and such, and that you create a magnetic field perpendicular to the direction in which the electric charge is moving. Recently, I have been doing some soft research on quantum mechanics, and I see that the electric force, the weak nuclear...
  29. E

    Electroweak symmetry breaking without Higgs boson?

    I saw this paper listed, http://arxiv.org/abs/1012.5529 Asymptotically safe weak interactions Xavier Calmet (Submitted on 26 Dec 2010) "We emphasize that the electroweak interactions without a Higgs boson are very similar to quantum general relativity. The Higgs field could just be a...
  30. M

    Massive vector boson propagator - Definition

    I'm reading Zee's QFT textbook and I'm stuck trying to understand why the \delta^\mu_\lambda appears when he defines the propagator of a massive spin-1 boson as the inverse of a differential operator: [(\partial^2 + m^2)g^{\mu\nu}-\partial^\mu\partial^\nu]D_{\nu\lambda} = \delta_\lambda^\mu...
  31. P

    Exploring the Frigid World of Absolute Zero: Boson & Beyond

    i am not exactly sure what happens when the temperature almost reaches absolute zero how things react to this drop and what are boson ( sorry for spelling errors)
  32. J

    What particles can the Z boson couple to in the standard model?

    Hi just wondering if anyone could tell me why the Z boson can couple to any standard model particle except forgluons and photons?
  33. TrickyDicky

    Composite Bosons: Understanding Their Behavior at Near Absolute Zero

    Matter with even total spin are considered (composite) bosons, for instance atoms whose particle spins add up to an even number, but they don't behave at all like gauge bosons, and I don't think they follow Bose-Einstein statistics,unless they are cooled to near absolute zero temperature, in...
  34. E

    Why More W^+/- than Z^0 in Proton-Antiproton Collisions?

    Can someone give me a qualitative/handwaving argument of why much more W^+/- boson are produced in proton-antiproton collisions compared to Z^0 bosons? PDFs are not enough to explain this I believe, since we will have more u ubar pairs in the collision than u dbar... Also if I...
  35. I

    DoF of a Gauge Boson - Why Only 1 for Virtual Photons?

    As we know, the number of physical degrees of freedom(DoF) for a photon is 2. I can understand this by gauging away redundant DoF's by gauge fixing. For example, in QED, by fixing the Lorentz gauge \partial_\mu A^\mu = 0 , we could get rid of one DoF, moreover, the residual gauge...
  36. J

    Exploring the Higgs Boson: Uncovering the Mystery

    http://www.higgs-boson.org/ Is it as garbage as it looks?
  37. C

    Trouble Understanding Boson Decay

    Hello, Just to give a little background here, I am entering into a Bsc (Hons) Physics major next year at the University of Saskatchewan and I have just been reading some books and learning about the standard model over the summer and I had a quick question. Most recently I just finished 'Beyond...
  38. J

    Higgs Boson and it's nickname the 'god particle'

    There was an argument in my Physics II class today over the appropriateness of 'God particle' for the Higgs Boson. I thought it would make some people perceive it incorrectly and it probably overstates the importance of its existence. Do you guys think its offensive that a deity is invoked...
  39. F

    A massive force carrying particle? The weak nuclear force, the W boson has mass?

    I was looking at the list of the force carrying particles and all of their masses read zero other than the W boson of the weak nuclear force. Q: Does the W boson travel at the speed of light even if it is massive? (I am guessing not) Q: If the W boson is massive then it emits other gauge...
  40. F

    Is the graviton a different particle from the higgs boson

    I was reading this book that separated the graviton from the higgs boson. Can I get some help anything works for me.
  41. Q

    Goldstone boson without symmetry?

    Hi, I was wondering about the U(1)_A problem. The Lagrangian exhibits a (in the limit of vanishing quark masses) U(1)_A symmetry but due to the chiral anomaly, the current J_5^{\mu} is not conserved: \partial_{\mu}J_5^{\mu} = G\tilde{G} + 2i\bar{u}\gamma_5 u +... The G\tilde{G} term...
  42. B

    Boson coherence at high temperatures?

    I was just reading up on Bose-einstein condensates and was wondering about something,hopefully you could point me in the right direction. so when you get atoms down to a low enough temperature the pauli exlusion principle gives out and they can sit ontop of each other like bosons,and they...
  43. T

    Predicting the charge of a W boson

    For my Physics exam, I need to know 3 Feynman diagrams: beta-plus/minus decay, proton electron capturing, and neutrinos interacting with matter. I know that there's a W- in \beta- decay, W+ in \beta+ decay, which seems logical. However, in proton electron capture there is a W+ boson, and...
  44. B

    Exploring the Possibility of a W-(or W+) Boson Possessing Charge

    does the w- (or w+) boson actually possesses a negative charge? i.e., would it deflect in a magnetic field like an electron? or does it just carry a negative charge? i'm trying to come to grips with a boson possessing charge at all. if that were the case, an infinite number of negative...
  45. M

    Does the Z boson couple to photons?

    Hi I can't find a Feynman rule for the coupling of two Z bosons to a photon. Does the Z boson couple to a photon at all?
  46. Char. Limit

    Higgs Boson Discovery Proves Standard Model: Exciting News from LHC

    You'll never believe it, but physicists at the LHC have discovered the Higgs Boson! It has the expected properties, and many physicists say that this proves once and for all the Standard Model. "This truly is a momentous discovery," Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy for the U.S. said. "Now our...
  47. K

    Why hasn't the Higgs boson been detected?

    My question is (and it's probably stupid, I'm a layman, please have patience with me): It seems from what I've read that the Higgs boson, if it exists, is very unlikely to have an extremely high mass (above ~500 GeV), and probably has a mass under ~145 GeV. And I know the top quark with a mass...
  48. L

    What if one stand in the middle of a composite boson?

    Hi,all. My lecture said, two fermion can form a composite boson. two spin half plus together get 1. Yes I agree, but i think that's depend on whose frame of reference. say A and B is two fermions, C and D is another two fermions (observers). AB form a boson. if: AB...
  49. C

    When does the LHC find out if higgs boson exist?

    when is the LHC find out if higgs boson excist?
  50. C

    What is the role of the Higgs boson in giving mass to particles?

    i know no one has ever seen them before there just a theory but my question is what are they? do they make up quarks to give everything mass or what I am kinds confused.
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