Why 1964 Higgs? Uncovering the Motivation Behind Its Postulation

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In summary, the Higgs was proposed in 1964 to explain the spontaneous breaking of gauge symmetry and the origin of mass in elementary particles. At the time, there was no evidence for W+/- or Z bosons or electroweak unification. The paper aimed to tackle the problem of explaining the mass mechanism using yet unknown vector bosons, and it is unclear whether the groups had high aspirations or were motivated by pure curiosity. Higgs makes his intention clear in the first paragraph of the paper, which can be found online except for the July 27 publication. It was not obvious at the time whether Higgs intended to show that Goldstone vector bosons can acquire mass under gauge fields, but it is possible that he believed
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DonBonbon
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Layman, I have a problem to understand the Higgs' motivation back then at 1964.

The Higgs as I understand was postulated to explain how spontaneous breaking of gauge symmetry takes place in nature, which in turn explains why other elementary particles have mass.
This all make perfect sense as of today...But, and here comes my lack of knowledge, at that time there was no W+/-, nor Z and no electroweak unification, so why to bother?
What was the problem these paper tried to tackle?
Was it 'only' to explain the mass mechanism via yet unknown vector bosons?...Or did they (the 3 groups) really aimed that high?
Was it intentional or was it like pure curiosity 'Lie Groups' that then became a necessity?

NB - no diminutive by pure curiosity, to the contrary.
 
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  • #2
Did you read the paper? Higgs makes it clear in the 1st paragraph (which I will not type in) exactly what he is doing.
 
  • #3
Thanks...I actually could find only the 19 October publication, that of July 27, I could not found online.
It was not that obvious to me however - does Higgs stated his intention to show that Goldstone vector boson can acquire mass under gauge fields as well?
i.e. does he say something like: "these particles have mass and therefore 'are real objects' and can be experimentally tested one day?"
I'm not suggesting that massless particles are not real...I extrapolate (based on remark Pauli once made to Yang about the mass of this particles), that the lack of mass was a problem.
Do am anywhere near the zone?
 

FAQ: Why 1964 Higgs? Uncovering the Motivation Behind Its Postulation

Why was the Higgs Boson postulated in 1964?

The Higgs Boson was first postulated in 1964 by physicist Peter Higgs and five other scientists to explain the origin of mass in elementary particles. This theory, known as the Higgs mechanism, was needed to complete the Standard Model of particle physics and provide a mechanism for particles to acquire mass.

What motivated scientists to propose the existence of the Higgs Boson in 1964?

The main motivation for proposing the Higgs Boson was to solve a fundamental problem in the Standard Model of particle physics. This theory did not provide an explanation for the origin of mass, which is a key property of particles. By introducing the Higgs mechanism, scientists were able to explain how particles obtain mass and complete the Standard Model.

How was the Higgs Boson discovered?

The Higgs Boson was discovered in 2012 by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. This particle accelerator was able to collide protons at high energies, recreating the conditions just after the Big Bang. The Higgs Boson was detected through its decay products, which were predicted by the Standard Model. This discovery confirmed the existence of the Higgs Boson and the validity of the Higgs mechanism.

What impact has the discovery of the Higgs Boson had on the field of particle physics?

The discovery of the Higgs Boson has had a significant impact on the field of particle physics. It confirmed the validity of the Standard Model and provided a better understanding of the fundamental forces and particles in the universe. It has also opened up new avenues for research, such as studying the properties of the Higgs Boson and searching for new physics beyond the Standard Model.

What are the potential applications of the Higgs Boson in other fields?

While the Higgs Boson has not yet had any direct applications in other fields, its discovery has provided a better understanding of the fundamental forces and particles in the universe. This knowledge can potentially lead to new technologies and advancements in various fields, such as energy production, medicine, and materials science. Further research on the Higgs Boson may also reveal new insights into the nature of dark matter and dark energy, which make up a large portion of our universe.

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