Higgs Field and Einstein's Special Relativity

In summary, at school, it was taught that when a particle is accelerated to near light speed, its mass increases exponentially. However, if this is not the case, the applied force must continue to increase the particle's kinetic energy without increasing its velocity. If the mass does increase, it suggests that objects traveling near light speed interact with the Higgs boson more than stationary objects. The rest mass that is generated by the Higgs mechanism is the source of this mass, and even without a Higgs field, particles that are massless still have kinetic energy. Massless particles have zero rest mass.
  • #1
John Murray
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At school I was taught that when any matter particle is accelerated until it almost reaches light speed, its mass increases exponentially. If this is not the case, how does an applied force continue to increase the kinetic energy of an accelerated particle without significantly increasing its velocity? If the mass of the particle does in fact increase, does this imply that objects traveling very close to light speed interract with the Higgs boson to a much greater extent than relatively stationary objects?
 
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  • #2
the mass that is "generated" by the higgs mechanism is the rest mass.
kinetic energy would still be there even if there were no higgs field and the particles are massless.

massless means zero "rest" mass
 

1. What is the Higgs field?

The Higgs field is a theoretical field in physics that is thought to give particles their mass. It was first proposed by Peter Higgs in 1964 and was later confirmed by experiments at the Large Hadron Collider in 2012.

2. How does the Higgs field relate to Einstein's Special Relativity?

In Einstein's Special Relativity, mass is a measure of an object's resistance to acceleration. The Higgs field explains the origin of mass in a similar way, by giving particles resistance to acceleration through interactions with the field.

3. What is the role of the Higgs field in the Standard Model of particle physics?

The Higgs field is a crucial component of the Standard Model, which is the most widely accepted theory of particle physics. It explains how particles interact with each other and how they acquire mass through interactions with the Higgs field.

4. Can the Higgs field be observed directly?

No, the Higgs field cannot be observed directly. It is a fundamental field that permeates all of space and is responsible for giving particles their mass. However, its effects can be observed through experiments and calculations in particle physics.

5. Is the Higgs field the same as the Higgs boson?

No, the Higgs field and the Higgs boson are two different things. The Higgs boson is a particle that is thought to be a manifestation of the Higgs field, and its discovery in 2012 provided evidence for the existence of the Higgs field.

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