- #1
JustinLevy
- 895
- 1
"Higgsless" Standard model
I realize we haven't been able to see the signal for a Higgs boson directly yet, but I have heard there is plenty of indirect evidence for the Higgs (in that it is needed in the model to match experimental results). My question is essentially: are all forms of this indirect evidence essentially only showing something is playing the role of the Higgs mechanism or is there actually indirect evidence of the Higgs boson itself (ie. extra particle content to what we've observed directly)?
Related, and probably more specific to allow answering, I've seen some high energy physicists mention in talks about the possibility of top quark loops playing the role of the higgs. Does this mean it is possible for the LHC to find no Higgs, and yet have it turn out that the standard model absent the higgs already explains everything, its just that there is a non-perturbative solution involving a top condensate? Or do these "top condensate" or "composite higgs" models generically require something else (either interactions or particle content) in the standard model?
If it doesn't require anything new to be added to the standard model, then what would experimentalists (or alternatively theorists if it is merely a mathematical issue) have to see to convince everyone one way or the other on the top condensate or composite higgs models? Can the LHC definitively answer questions on top condensate if a higgs boson is never found? Or whether the higgs is composite if it is found (ie. are decay properties enough, or would yet higher energies be needed)?
I realize we haven't been able to see the signal for a Higgs boson directly yet, but I have heard there is plenty of indirect evidence for the Higgs (in that it is needed in the model to match experimental results). My question is essentially: are all forms of this indirect evidence essentially only showing something is playing the role of the Higgs mechanism or is there actually indirect evidence of the Higgs boson itself (ie. extra particle content to what we've observed directly)?
Related, and probably more specific to allow answering, I've seen some high energy physicists mention in talks about the possibility of top quark loops playing the role of the higgs. Does this mean it is possible for the LHC to find no Higgs, and yet have it turn out that the standard model absent the higgs already explains everything, its just that there is a non-perturbative solution involving a top condensate? Or do these "top condensate" or "composite higgs" models generically require something else (either interactions or particle content) in the standard model?
If it doesn't require anything new to be added to the standard model, then what would experimentalists (or alternatively theorists if it is merely a mathematical issue) have to see to convince everyone one way or the other on the top condensate or composite higgs models? Can the LHC definitively answer questions on top condensate if a higgs boson is never found? Or whether the higgs is composite if it is found (ie. are decay properties enough, or would yet higher energies be needed)?