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waht
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I read in Elegant Universe there is a 5th force predicted by the string theory. Anybody know what it is ?
The Higgs particle is as yet a hypothetical particle invoked to explain why the carriers of the electroweak force (the W and Z bosons) have mass. Quantum electrodynamics requires the photon to have zero mass (which is good because indeed it does), but early attempts to develop and electroweak theory also required the bosons to be massless, (which is bad because then they would be as abundant as the photon in the universe, which indeed they are not). Peter Higgs and two Belgian researchers (who worked independently of Higgs) come across the same idea for settling the puzzle in 1964. If there is an otherwise undetectable field filling the universe (now called the Higgs field), it could have associated with it a previously unknown kind of boson, the Higgs particle, which has mass. This would allow any photon-like particle to become massive by swallowing up a Higgs boson. It is possible, but not proven, that all-massive particles get their mass this way.
Sempiternity said:The "5th force" proposed in the Elegant Universe is the Higgs field, which is thought to permeate space. The Higgs boson is the carrier particle of the Higgs field.
<<<GUILLE>>> said:What do you mean by permeate space?
The 5th force in string theory is a hypothetical force that is predicted by some versions of string theory. It is thought to be a fundamental force of nature, alongside gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces.
The 5th force is thought to be different from the other four forces in several ways. It is predicted to have a much longer range than the other forces, and it may have a different type of particle associated with it. Additionally, the 5th force may only be detectable at very small scales, making it difficult to observe.
Currently, there is no solid evidence for the existence of a 5th force. Some experiments have shown potential hints of a 5th force, but these results have not been consistently replicated. Further research and experimentation is needed to confirm its existence.
If a 5th force is discovered, it would greatly impact our understanding of the universe and the laws of physics. It would require a new framework to incorporate this force into our current understanding of the four fundamental forces. It could also potentially help explain phenomena that cannot be fully explained by the four known forces.
Scientists are actively searching for ways to test and observe the 5th force. Some proposed experiments involve studying the behavior of particles at extremely high energies or using precision measurements of the gravitational constant. However, due to its predicted small scale and weak strength, detecting the 5th force may prove to be a difficult task.