Electron mass increased by electromagnetic coupling like it is by Higgs coupling?

In summary, the mass of an electron is increased by the interaction with the Higgs field. The mass of an electron is not increased by the interaction with the electromagnetic field.
  • #1
johne1618
371
0
Would electromagnetic coupling between an electron with charge e and an electromagnetic field with scalar potential V_em add to its mass in the same way as its coupling to the scalar Higgs field?

i.e.

mass_electron = g V_Higgs + e V_em

Somewhere I got the picture that a left-handed massless electron state is flipped to a right-handed one and vice-versa each time it interacts with the Higgs field. The electron mass/energy is then given by hbar times the frequency of this flipping. I don't know if this is right. If it is then perhaps the same flipping behaviour (excuse my language!) can occur due to interactions with photons in an electromagnetic field.
 
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  • #2
johne1618 said:
Would electromagnetic coupling between an electron with charge e and an electromagnetic field with scalar potential V_em add to its mass in the same way as its coupling to the scalar Higgs field?

i.e.

mass_electron = g V_Higgs + e V_em

There's a crucial difference.

The electromagnetic field [itex]A^\mu[/itex] is a vector field and V_em is the time component
of this vector. The value of V_em is different in different reference frames.

The Higgs field however is (must be) a true Lorentz scalar and its value is the
same in all reference frames.


Hans.
 
  • #3
johne1618, Regarding the flipping.. in the massless case, right-handed and left-handed fermions are completely independent of each other. But if a mass term is present in the Lagrangian it couples them together: L = m (eLeR + eReL). This is true regardless of whether the mass comes from the Higgs field or is put in by hand. You shouldn't think of this as a repeated "flipping".. there is no time dependence involved.
 
  • #4
Yes QED increases the electron mass. Infinitely in fact, the bare mass of the electron is infinite, and QED screening gives an infinite subtraction to it, given an electron mass of ∞-∞ = anything finite. QED isn't very predictive for masses. But QED doesn't work for a massless electron, and doesn't work for energies above a certain point. I think this is saying that deep down a (3d space + 1 time) universal with QM and a phase at every point in space is not in fact a possible complete theory of a universe, somewhere some else has to be
added to make a fully viable theory.
 

1. What is electromagnetic coupling?

Electromagnetic coupling refers to the interaction between electrically charged particles through the exchange of photons. This interaction is responsible for the forces between charged particles, such as the attraction between protons and electrons in an atom.

2. How does electromagnetic coupling affect the mass of an electron?

According to the Standard Model of particle physics, the mass of an electron is not a fixed value, but instead, it is determined by the strength of its interactions with other particles. Electromagnetic coupling contributes to the mass of the electron by increasing its energy, which, according to Einstein's famous equation E=mc^2, also increases its mass.

3. How does electromagnetic coupling differ from Higgs coupling in terms of increasing electron mass?

Electromagnetic coupling and Higgs coupling are both mechanisms that contribute to the mass of the electron, but they work in different ways. While electromagnetic coupling involves the exchange of photons, Higgs coupling involves the interaction between the electron and the Higgs field, which gives particles their mass.

4. Is the increase in electron mass due to electromagnetic coupling significant?

Yes, the increase in electron mass due to electromagnetic coupling is significant. In fact, it is the dominant contribution to the mass of the electron, accounting for about 99% of its total mass. Without electromagnetic coupling, the electron would essentially be massless.

5. Are there any real-world applications of understanding electron mass and its increase through electromagnetic coupling?

Yes, understanding the relationship between electromagnetic coupling and electron mass has important implications in fields such as quantum mechanics and particle physics. It also helps us to develop technologies such as transistors and lasers, which rely on the principles of electromagnetism and the behavior of electrons.

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