What is Boson: Definition and 371 Discussions

In quantum mechanics, a boson (, ) is a particle that follows Bose–Einstein statistics. Bosons make up one of two classes of elementary particles, the other being fermions. The name boson was coined by Paul Dirac to commemorate the contribution of Satyendra Nath Bose, an Indian physicist and professor of physics at University of Calcutta and at University of Dhaka in developing, with Albert Einstein, Bose–Einstein statistics, which theorizes the characteristics of elementary particles.Examples of bosons are fundamental particles such as photons, gluons, and W and Z bosons (the four force-carrying gauge bosons of the Standard Model), the recently discovered Higgs boson, and the hypothetical graviton of quantum gravity. Some composite particles are also bosons, such as mesons and stable nuclei of even mass number such as deuterium (with one proton and one neutron, atomic mass number = 2), helium-4, and lead-208; as well as some quasiparticles (e.g. Cooper pairs, plasmons, and phonons).An important characteristic of bosons is that there is no restriction on the number of them that occupy the same quantum state. This property is exemplified by helium-4 when it is cooled to become a superfluid. Unlike bosons, two identical fermions cannot occupy the same quantum state. Whereas the elementary particles that make up matter (i.e. leptons and quarks) are fermions, the elementary bosons are force carriers that function as the 'glue' holding matter together. This property holds for all particles with integer spin (s = 0, 1, 2, etc.) as a consequence of the spin–statistics theorem.
When a gas of Bose particles is cooled down to temperatures very close to absolute zero, then the kinetic energy of the particles decreases to a negligible amount, and they condense into the lowest energy level state. This state is called a Bose–Einstein condensate. This property is also the explanation for superfluidity.

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  1. N

    Boson statistics and the uncertainty principle

    This question is regarding the boson statistics and it’s relation to the uncertainty principle. Consider we have a vacuum state and we apply a field operator on it to create a particle at position x, we end up with state like \begin{array}{l} \left| \psi \right\rangle = {\psi ^\dag...
  2. J

    Exploring the Possibilities: Higgs Boson Interactions and Energy Release

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  3. T

    Is the higgs boson necessary for particles to exist.

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  4. C

    How can Helium 4 be a Boson and Helium 3 be a Fermion?

    Hi there, Just a quick question which I'm sure I'm over complicating in my head.:confused: I've read that Helium 4 is a Boson because it has 0 spin and that Helium 3 is a Fermion because it has 1/2 spin. Is this right? I don't see how whole atoms can be associated with fundamental particle...
  5. L

    Fermion Boson Reaction: Ratio of Fermions to Bosons at T=0

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  6. L

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  7. M

    Understanding the W Boson: How are New W Bosons Created?

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  8. T

    Zee.csv Meaning on CERN Webpage - Stats Project Help

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  9. J

    How does the Higgs field affect particles at normal energy levels?

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  10. S

    What does it mean, The Higgs boson is an excitation of the higgs field

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  11. Z

    Higgs Boson vs GR's Spacetime: Is Mass Effect Obsolete?

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  12. Drakkith

    New results indicate that new particle is a Higgs boson

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  13. B

    Exploring Boson Behavior in a Thought Experiment

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  14. N

    Why did we search for higgs boson when we knew it couldn't be useful?

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  15. Y

    Decay rate and lifetime of Z Boson

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  16. B

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  17. J

    Higgs Boson = Universe is False Vacuum?

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  18. B

    Is the Higgs Boson the Key to Understanding Particle Travel Velocity?

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  19. J

    Questions about the higgs boson.

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  20. T

    Exploring the Debate: Graviton vs Higgs Boson and the Origin of Gravity

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  21. C

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  22. Q

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  23. S

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  24. S

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  25. K

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  26. E

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  27. S

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  28. R

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  29. nukeman

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  30. D

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  31. T

    Could a Fermion be Entangled with a Boson ?

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  32. V

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  33. P

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  34. haael

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  35. L

    Why doesn't charge need the equivalent of a Higgs boson?

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  36. A

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  37. T

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  38. Einj

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  39. M

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  40. X

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  41. S

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  42. B

    Is Higgs boson a particle of pure mass?

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  43. L

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  44. W

    Why should force carriers be only boson?

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  45. T

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  46. J

    Have they actually found the higgs boson?

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  47. S

    What Happens to Higgs-Bosons Without Conservation of Mass?

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  48. M

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  49. photonkid

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  50. B

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