- #1
AlanKirby
- 20
- 0
Let me set up the question briefly. Emmy Noether's theorem relates symmetry to conserved quantities, e.g. invariance under translations in time => conservation of energy. A fundamental truth revealed.
Massive gauge bosons, leptons and quarks all appear to acquire mass through the spontaneous symmetry breaking of the gauge invariance and hadrons acquire there mass primarily through the spontaneous symmetry breaking of the chiral invariance.
Through relativity we see that energy and mass are related by a conversion factor of c (speed of light).
And so, firstly, is it correct to say that energy is a fundamental conserved quantity and that mass is simply an alternate form that it takes as a consequence of the spontaneous symmetry breaking.
Secondly, would it be reasonable to assume that other conserved quantities such as linear momentum (from invariance under translations in space) take on an alternate form as a consequence of spontaneous symmetry breaking, or perhaps due to something else. If not, what makes energy special?
Thanks.
Massive gauge bosons, leptons and quarks all appear to acquire mass through the spontaneous symmetry breaking of the gauge invariance and hadrons acquire there mass primarily through the spontaneous symmetry breaking of the chiral invariance.
Through relativity we see that energy and mass are related by a conversion factor of c (speed of light).
And so, firstly, is it correct to say that energy is a fundamental conserved quantity and that mass is simply an alternate form that it takes as a consequence of the spontaneous symmetry breaking.
Secondly, would it be reasonable to assume that other conserved quantities such as linear momentum (from invariance under translations in space) take on an alternate form as a consequence of spontaneous symmetry breaking, or perhaps due to something else. If not, what makes energy special?
Thanks.