Higgs Definition and 684 Threads

In the Standard Model of particle physics, the Higgs mechanism is essential to explain the generation mechanism of the property "mass" for gauge bosons. Without the Higgs mechanism, all bosons (one of the two classes of particles, the other being fermions) would be considered massless, but measurements show that the W+, W−, and Z0 bosons actually have relatively large masses of around 80 GeV/c2. The Higgs field resolves this conundrum. The simplest description of the mechanism adds a quantum field (the Higgs field) that permeates all space to the Standard Model. Below some extremely high temperature, the field causes spontaneous symmetry breaking during interactions. The breaking of symmetry triggers the Higgs mechanism, causing the bosons it interacts with to have mass. In the Standard Model, the phrase "Higgs mechanism" refers specifically to the generation of masses for the W±, and Z weak gauge bosons through electroweak symmetry breaking. The Large Hadron Collider at CERN announced results consistent with the Higgs particle on 14 March 2013, making it extremely likely that the field, or one like it, exists, and explaining how the Higgs mechanism takes place in nature.
The mechanism was proposed in 1962 by Philip Warren Anderson, following work in the late 1950s on symmetry breaking in superconductivity and a 1960 paper by Yoichiro Nambu that discussed its application within particle physics.
A theory able to finally explain mass generation without "breaking" gauge theory was published almost simultaneously by three independent groups in 1964: by Robert Brout and François Englert; by Peter Higgs; and by Gerald Guralnik, C. R. Hagen, and Tom Kibble. The Higgs mechanism is therefore also called the Brout–Englert–Higgs mechanism, or Englert–Brout–Higgs–Guralnik–Hagen–Kibble mechanism, Anderson–Higgs mechanism, Anderson–Higgs–Kibble mechanism, Higgs–Kibble mechanism by Abdus Salam and ABEGHHK'tH mechanism (for Anderson, Brout, Englert, Guralnik, Hagen, Higgs, Kibble, and 't Hooft) by Peter Higgs. The Higgs mechanism in electrodynamics was also discovered independently by Eberly and Reiss in reverse
as the "gauge" Dirac field mass gain due to the artificially displaced electromagnetic field as a Higgs field.On 8 October 2013, following the discovery at CERN's Large Hadron Collider of a new particle that appeared to be the long-sought Higgs boson predicted by the theory, it was announced that Peter Higgs and François Englert had been awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics.

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  1. W

    Exploring Little Higgs Theory & the Simplest Higgs Model

    Hello all I have a fairly specific question that I am hoping someone can answer. I have been doing some reading on a model called the Simplest Higgs (arXiv:hep-ph/0407143), one class of the more general Little Higgs theories. Basically the model adds new physics to the standard model by...
  2. C

    Does Higgs Field incorporate with String Theory?

    Hello Physics Forum members, I have got a question that really got into my head and i don't seem to get the answers. I tried to look for some extra information over the internet and couple of books but nothing. So my question is whether the hypothetical Higgs field incorporates with the...
  3. U

    Exploring the Connection between the Higgs Field and Antimatter Annihilation

    How would the higgs field affect antimatter as appose to matter. Would it give antimatter mass in the same way as it does to matter, or in a different way? Could this "different way" explain why antiparticles and particles annihilate when they meet? Thanks, Jamie
  4. Q

    Coupling the gauge bosons to the Higgs scalars

    At page 52 of 4th chapter in "An Introduction to gauge theories & modern particle physics" by Leader & Predazzi one can find such statement: "We must therefore rearrange (4.2.4) so that we can identify the field that multiplies\frac{1}{2}\left(1+\tau_{3}\right) as gauge boson that remains...
  5. N

    Higgs Boson and Space in an Atom

    In an atom we know that there is a large space between the particles in an atom. Is this space supposedly filled with the higgs boson prarticle and if so how can we not have seen this particle before. Approx. how many of this boson would that mean there would be! Just speculation really... :)
  6. N

    Higgs mechanism and gauge theory

    I'm an undergraduate in physics, I'm on my 2nd year. I have to write this assignment about the Higgs particle and gauge theory. There are quite some things that are unclear to me however. Since I'm only on my second year I don't know a lot of deep math like group theory, just basic stuff. I know...
  7. B

    Higgs Boson Decay Ratio: Mass or Mass Squared?

    Homework Statement What is the ratio of the partial widths of the decay of the Higgs boson into the bound state of b quark and b anti quark and c quark and C anti quark Homework Equations None The Attempt at a Solution Me and my friend disagree on the answer. I believe it should...
  8. S

    Exploring Higgs Branching Ratios: Surprising Results for WW and ZZ Production

    Hi there :) I'm currently looking at Higgs Branching ratios. The fermions are all behaving as expected from the Yukawa terms and producing results proportional to mass. I'm a bit confused however that my WW (and WW*) BRs are higher than ZZ (and ZZ*), I was expecting tem to be the other way...
  9. A

    Could it be that Higgs's boson does not exist, but Higgs mechanism does?

    Non-Higgs boson process of the generating of elementary particle masses in QFT As is known in the experiments on LEP and Bevatron, Higgs's bosons were not discovered. It is supposed that an energy amount bigger than 160 GeV is here needed. But some scientists doubt the detection of Higgs in...
  10. P

    Exploring the Existence of Higgs Boson: LHC's Power vs. Tevatron's Limitations

    How come that higgs boson hasn't been found yet? According to wikipedia,The non-observation of clear signals leads to an experimental lower bound for the Standard Model Higgs boson mass of 114.4 GeV at 95% confidence level. Since the Ferimlab Tevatron has 10 times more power for the particle...
  11. B

    Calculating Width of SM Higgs Two-Photon Channel

    Hello! I would like to know how to calculate the width of the two-photon channel of the SM Higgs. It seems to be quite a tedious calculation with a dimensional regularization to perform. There are two one-loop contributions (leptons and W). Thank you very much in advance for your help! B...
  12. tiny-tim

    Higgs fermion … the march is over … ?

    Good morning everyone! :smile: What do people think of the Higgs fermion candidate reportedly being studied at the Albanian reactor at Loöf Lirpana? … :confused: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgs_boson#LoofLirpana
  13. jal

    Where are the Higgs boson particles

    Where are the Higgs boson particles supposed to be located? Is there one in the electron, neutrinos, proton, neutron? jal
  14. B

    Higgs Mechanism: Does it Give Mass to All Particles?

    Hi there Lately, I have been irritated by some general articles about the Higgs Mechanism in newspapers. Those articles suggest that it gives mass to all particles (vector bosons + all fermions). However, if I read a textbook I can only extract from the context that it gives mass only to the...
  15. S

    Higgs field, mass and why particles cling to it?

    didn't know where to post this. Was wondering earlier why objects have mass so i googled it.. I'm in grade 12 so don't really understand EVERYTHING you know lol. but anyways found out about higgs field and higgs boson. Can someone explain how this explains why things have 'mass' like why do...
  16. J

    If the higgs boson is discovered, what are the implications

    If the higgs boson particle is discovered, what are some of the applicatons that might be found for the information they find out ( new technology that might evolve, inventions ect.)
  17. I

    Can Higgs Particles Cause Universe Expansion Due to Negative Density?

    Please apologise to my poor English, and I am the bigginner in this field. I have recently read about The inflation of the universe. It said that The Higgs Particles causes universe expansion with acceleration because of its negative density. Does it mean it has a negative mass or a...
  18. CJames

    Exploring the Higgs Boson: Force or Vacuum Energy?

    I have a question regarding the Higgs Boson/Field/Mechanism. My understanding of QFT is very rudimentary, but as I understand it the Higgs Boson is the quantum of the Higgs Field, which generates the vacuum energy providing the mass of the elementary particles. It assigns mass to bosons causing...
  19. B

    Higgs Particles: Big Mass, Bigger Detection Challenge?

    They say Higgs particles are so hard to detect because their mass is so big. But when their mass is so big, wouldn't that make them easier to detect?
  20. Y

    Question regarding higgs, grravity, and electromagnetic dimensions

    This question is going to be very weird, but bear with me please. The higgs, we believe is associated with the gravitron, correct? And it's possible that dimensions 5-7 could be the electromagnetic spectrums that can manipulate the higgs/gravitron? Or am I not even close? I am doing research...
  21. C

    Higgs boson detection is it possible as of 2008

    The Higgs boson introduced by P. Higgs (insert --> the spontaneous symmetry breaking with the gauge theories was also constructed by Robert Brout & Francois Englert) one question I do have is on the dynamics involved dealing with this concept - is it truly possible to detect the process by decay...
  22. E

    Does Not Seeing a Little Higgs at Tevatron Rule Out SUSY for EW Scale Breaking?

    To date, the little higgs implied by some SUSY models requires higgs of energies less than 130 GEV, which Fermilab's Tevatron has not yet seen. These models do help explain EW breaking, however, If SUSY explains E-w scale breaking, does it require a little Higgs at Tevatron energies? I...
  23. C

    Exploring the Higgs Particle: Dynamics and Properties

    The Higgs boson introduced by P. Higgs (insert --> the spontaneous symmetry breaking with the gauge theories was also constructed by Robert Brout & Francois Englert) one question I have is on the dynamics involved dealing with this concept. Could someone please explain the properties/mechanics...
  24. C

    Are All Particles in Quantum Physics Excitations of Fields Like the Higgs Boson?

    So there are a couple of things I've read lately which at some point attempt to explain the Higgs Boson, one of which is "The Road to Reality" by Roger Penrose and the other one is this page of "one page explanations" of the Higgs Boson. I'm kind of confused by the depictions of the Higgs in...
  25. Z

    Looking for Higgs in all the wrong places?

    If Fermilab's rumored energy bump is just a speed bump on steroids (they have had a good run, up to ~200 GEV?); and if LHC doesn't find Higgs, at it's lower range, i would assume, then perhaps another scenario might be entertained. That is, perhaps it's simply the needle in the haystack...
  26. A

    Electroweak symmetry breaking without a Higgs

    Interesting new paper from John Moffat: http://arxiv.org/abs/0709.4269 Introduces a non-local, finite QFT that dynamically generates boson and fermion masses as loop corrections. Experimental evidence for the theory will be visible in WW scattering at the LHC (coupling goes to zero, which...
  27. E

    Could chirality in LQG break the electroweak symmetry without the higgs?

    One difference between GR and LQG is that LQG is chiral, whereas GR is not. In order to break the electroweak symmetry, a higgs field needs to be introduced by hand. Einstein's understanding of inertia implies a strong EP as gravitational mass and inertia are identical, while a higgs...
  28. arivero

    Can a Higgs Field in an Isospin Triplet Give Mass to a Standard Model Quark?

    Let me see if I get it right or I dreamed it: in order to give mass to a quark or a lepton the higgs field must be in the same isospin representation that the fermion, must it? IE, can a particle in a isospin triplet get mass from the minimal higgs? Or in the reverse, should a triplet higgs...
  29. A

    What are the Decay Modes of the Higgs? Recommendations for Further Reading

    I need a reference describing the possible decay modes of the Higgs. Can anyone recommend any books or websites?
  30. L

    Understanding the Higgs Field and Mechanism

    What is Higgs field? Some books say that because of this field the matter has the properties of mass but when I see arxiv I think it's something different. If Higgs particle is a boson then why this Higgs mechanism not considered a force?
  31. T

    The Irony of the Higgs Mechanism: Giving Mass to the Massless?

    Forgive if I'm being sarcastic, but I just read on the Higgs mechanism, giving mass to the fermions and bosons. But at the same time, Higgs itself has mass? Isn't that abit irony?
  32. H

    Will Detection Of Higgs Boson Complete Standard Model?

    We are pinning high hopes on LHC experiment. One of the expected results of the experiment is detection of Higgs Boson that would complete the standard model. In fact, discovery of Higgs Boson would complicate the theoretical issues because then we will need to find out.. a. origin of Higgs...
  33. T

    Understanding the Higgs Mechanism

    Let me take an example. Suppose we have a Lagrangian, of a scalar field coupled to itself and a massless gauge boson field. Next, we expand the Lagrangian about the vacuum expectation value of the scalar field, and it turns out that, in the end, the gauge boson is massive. My question is...
  34. michael879

    Understanding the Higgs Particle

    I just read this book on the Standard Model. It goes over most things very briefly and one thing it explained badly was the higgs particle. Why exactly does it give every other massive particle mass? The Higgs field from a single particle would be negligible from far away right? If we...
  35. D

    The link between the cosmological constant and the higgs field

    I have read that the current expansion of the universe could be due to a bare positive cosmological constant along with a negative cosmological constant due to the false vacuum of the higgs field. Currently this negative CC is not enough to cancel the positive cc but with time this can be...
  36. E

    What is the velocity of neutrinos, and do their interact with the HIggs field?

    If Neutrinos have mass, What is the velocity of neutrinos, can they "slow down" due to gravity, and do their acquire their mass from interactions with the HIggs field?
  37. humanino

    Is MSSM Higgs the Key to Understanding the Universe?

    Good morning everbody, very good indeed. Well, tell me what you think : http://dorigo.wordpress.com/2007/01/19/a-21-sigma-eccess-of-mssm-higgs
  38. J

    Time for a Poll: Higgs Mass Prediction

    What mass will the lightest Higgs found in the next three years have? No Higgs found in next three years, Below 114 GeV 114-130 GeV 130-150 Gev 150-180 GeV 180-220 Gev 220-360 Gev Above 360 GeV Notes: 1. MSSM Higgs predicted less than 130 GeV, non supersymmetric SM Higgs probably...
  39. U

    How would we find the Higgs if Higgs did not coupe to fermions?

    I'm pretty new to particle physics. Actaully, I'm brand new to particle physics (2nd year undergraduate). I've been invited into a course on the Higgs recently and have a few questions I was wondering about. I was wondering what would happen if Higgs did not couple to fermions? Does this mean...
  40. J

    What are the Predictions for the Higgs Mass in Different Models?

    Can anyone tell me what the experts expect the Higgs mass to be in various well discussed models? i.e. SM MSSM nMSSM little Higgs split supersymmetry others? Or do they all just predict 114-1000 GeV? I think MSSM predicts less than 125 or 130 max. I have heard rumors that SM...
  41. B

    Does String Theory or Preon Theory More Accurately Predict the Higgs Boson Mass?

    Thanks Lubos, Dear Lubos, Does string theory offer a concrete prediction for the mass of the higgs boson? Thanks Dan PS would you mind if I cross-post your response at sci.physics or PF? dan | 10.01.06 - 5:58 pm | # Dear dan, string theorists - just like everyone else - are...
  42. B

    Should the Tevatron see the Higgs boson? What-if LHC does not observe it?

    Should the Tevatron see the Higgs boson? Given that it can collide at the TEV scale, shouldn't this be enough to see the HIGGS BOSON? What-if LHC does not observe the Higgs boson? Obviously this is bad for the standard model. Would this disconfirm string theory? Can the standard model...
  43. B

    Does Einstein's General Relativity need to be adjusted for the Higgs field?

    Does Einstein's General Relativity need to be adjusted for the Higgs field? Since the Higgs field gives most particles mass, and permeates all space, then GR needs the higgs field to be a theory of space? So where GR is highly curved, the higgs field is also curved? And does a highly curved...
  44. B

    The Higgs field: so gravitational field by itself cannot confer mass?

    the Higgs field: so gravitational field by itself cannot confer mass to elementary particles? What properties of a particle determine how it interacts with the Higgs field in such a way that it gains mass (whereas others, such as photons, remain massless)?
  45. B

    What signatures will TEV/LHC seek with the HIggs Boson?

    What signatures will TEV/LHC seek with the HIggs Boson?
  46. M

    Higgs field, QFT in curved spacetime, and spinfoams

    How related are the concepts of the Higgs field and QFT in curved spacetime? As I understand it, The Higgs mechanism is derived from a false vacuum where no particles exist yet, but the Higgs field contains potential energy at an unstable equilibrium. This unstable potential is what drives...
  47. wolram

    Non-Standard Higgs Physics: CP Studies & Experiments

    http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ph/0608079 CP Studies and Non-Standard Higgs Physics Authors: S. Kraml, E. Accomando, A.G. Akeroyd, E. Akhmetzyanova, J. Albert, A. Alves, N. Amapane, M. Aoki, G. Azuelos, S. Baffioni, A. Ballestrero, V. Barger, A. Bartl, P. Bechtle, G. Belanger, A. Belhouari, R...
  48. Pythagorean

    Higgs & Graviton: Interaction or Separate Particles?

    Are the Higgs and the Graviton supposed to interact or are they two different particles from two different theories?
  49. J

    Neutrino as alternative to Higgs boson

    The Higgs boson was proposed to provide a mechanism for mass and is posited, as a field, to extend throughout the Universe. But this was before we started thinking the neutrino, which is also (almost) omnipresent, must have a mass. Could the neutrino substitute for the Higgs in this role?
  50. S

    Why is the Higgs Boson tachyonic?

    Why is the (mass)^2 term of the Higgs Boson negative in the Standard Model Lagrangian to start with? I understand that along with the H^4 term, it gives rise to dynamical symmetry breaking, which explains a bunch of stuff (and eventually gives us a physical mass term for the Higgs). But I find...
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