What is Higgs: Definition and 682 Discussions

In the Standard Model of particle physics, the Higgs mechanism is essential to explain the generation mechanism of the property "mass" for gauge bosons. Without the Higgs mechanism, all bosons (one of the two classes of particles, the other being fermions) would be considered massless, but measurements show that the W+, W−, and Z0 bosons actually have relatively large masses of around 80 GeV/c2. The Higgs field resolves this conundrum. The simplest description of the mechanism adds a quantum field (the Higgs field) that permeates all space to the Standard Model. Below some extremely high temperature, the field causes spontaneous symmetry breaking during interactions. The breaking of symmetry triggers the Higgs mechanism, causing the bosons it interacts with to have mass. In the Standard Model, the phrase "Higgs mechanism" refers specifically to the generation of masses for the W±, and Z weak gauge bosons through electroweak symmetry breaking. The Large Hadron Collider at CERN announced results consistent with the Higgs particle on 14 March 2013, making it extremely likely that the field, or one like it, exists, and explaining how the Higgs mechanism takes place in nature.
The mechanism was proposed in 1962 by Philip Warren Anderson, following work in the late 1950s on symmetry breaking in superconductivity and a 1960 paper by Yoichiro Nambu that discussed its application within particle physics.
A theory able to finally explain mass generation without "breaking" gauge theory was published almost simultaneously by three independent groups in 1964: by Robert Brout and François Englert; by Peter Higgs; and by Gerald Guralnik, C. R. Hagen, and Tom Kibble. The Higgs mechanism is therefore also called the Brout–Englert–Higgs mechanism, or Englert–Brout–Higgs–Guralnik–Hagen–Kibble mechanism, Anderson–Higgs mechanism, Anderson–Higgs–Kibble mechanism, Higgs–Kibble mechanism by Abdus Salam and ABEGHHK'tH mechanism (for Anderson, Brout, Englert, Guralnik, Hagen, Higgs, Kibble, and 't Hooft) by Peter Higgs. The Higgs mechanism in electrodynamics was also discovered independently by Eberly and Reiss in reverse
as the "gauge" Dirac field mass gain due to the artificially displaced electromagnetic field as a Higgs field.On 8 October 2013, following the discovery at CERN's Large Hadron Collider of a new particle that appeared to be the long-sought Higgs boson predicted by the theory, it was announced that Peter Higgs and François Englert had been awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics.

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  1. U

    Exploring the Connection between the Higgs Field and Antimatter Annihilation

    How would the higgs field affect antimatter as appose to matter. Would it give antimatter mass in the same way as it does to matter, or in a different way? Could this "different way" explain why antiparticles and particles annihilate when they meet? Thanks, Jamie
  2. Q

    Coupling the gauge bosons to the Higgs scalars

    At page 52 of 4th chapter in "An Introduction to gauge theories & modern particle physics" by Leader & Predazzi one can find such statement: "We must therefore rearrange (4.2.4) so that we can identify the field that multiplies\frac{1}{2}\left(1+\tau_{3}\right) as gauge boson that remains...
  3. N

    Higgs Boson and Space in an Atom

    In an atom we know that there is a large space between the particles in an atom. Is this space supposedly filled with the higgs boson prarticle and if so how can we not have seen this particle before. Approx. how many of this boson would that mean there would be! Just speculation really... :)
  4. N

    Higgs mechanism and gauge theory

    I'm an undergraduate in physics, I'm on my 2nd year. I have to write this assignment about the Higgs particle and gauge theory. There are quite some things that are unclear to me however. Since I'm only on my second year I don't know a lot of deep math like group theory, just basic stuff. I know...
  5. B

    Higgs Boson Decay Ratio: Mass or Mass Squared?

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  6. S

    Exploring Higgs Branching Ratios: Surprising Results for WW and ZZ Production

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  7. A

    Could it be that Higgs's boson does not exist, but Higgs mechanism does?

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  8. P

    Exploring the Existence of Higgs Boson: LHC's Power vs. Tevatron's Limitations

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  9. B

    Calculating Width of SM Higgs Two-Photon Channel

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  10. tiny-tim

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  11. jal

    Where are the Higgs boson particles

    Where are the Higgs boson particles supposed to be located? Is there one in the electron, neutrinos, proton, neutron? jal
  12. B

    Higgs Mechanism: Does it Give Mass to All Particles?

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  13. S

    Higgs field, mass and why particles cling to it?

    didn't know where to post this. Was wondering earlier why objects have mass so i googled it.. I'm in grade 12 so don't really understand EVERYTHING you know lol. but anyways found out about higgs field and higgs boson. Can someone explain how this explains why things have 'mass' like why do...
  14. J

    If the higgs boson is discovered, what are the implications

    If the higgs boson particle is discovered, what are some of the applicatons that might be found for the information they find out ( new technology that might evolve, inventions ect.)
  15. I

    Can Higgs Particles Cause Universe Expansion Due to Negative Density?

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  16. CJames

    Exploring the Higgs Boson: Force or Vacuum Energy?

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  17. B

    Higgs Particles: Big Mass, Bigger Detection Challenge?

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  18. Y

    Question regarding higgs, grravity, and electromagnetic dimensions

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  19. C

    Higgs boson detection is it possible as of 2008

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  20. E

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  21. C

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  22. C

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  23. Z

    Looking for Higgs in all the wrong places?

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  24. A

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  25. E

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  26. arivero

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  27. A

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  28. L

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  29. T

    The Irony of the Higgs Mechanism: Giving Mass to the Massless?

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  30. H

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  31. T

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  33. D

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  34. E

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  35. humanino

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    Good morning everbody, very good indeed. Well, tell me what you think : http://dorigo.wordpress.com/2007/01/19/a-21-sigma-eccess-of-mssm-higgs
  36. J

    Time for a Poll: Higgs Mass Prediction

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  37. U

    How would we find the Higgs if Higgs did not coupe to fermions?

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  38. J

    What are the Predictions for the Higgs Mass in Different Models?

    Can anyone tell me what the experts expect the Higgs mass to be in various well discussed models? i.e. SM MSSM nMSSM little Higgs split supersymmetry others? Or do they all just predict 114-1000 GeV? I think MSSM predicts less than 125 or 130 max. I have heard rumors that SM...
  39. B

    The Higgs Boson mass prediction for LHC: string theory's prediction v.s preon theory

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  40. B

    Should the Tevatron see the Higgs boson? What-if LHC does not observe it?

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  41. B

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  42. B

    The Higgs field: so gravitational field by itself cannot confer mass?

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  43. B

    What signatures will TEV/LHC seek with the HIggs Boson?

    What signatures will TEV/LHC seek with the HIggs Boson?
  44. M

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  45. wolram

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  46. Pythagorean

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  47. J

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  48. S

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  49. wolram

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  50. L

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    I had my first lecture on the Standard Model today. The lecturer presented the Lagrangian for the Standard Model, which took up two slides. However, it contained terms that referred explicitly to the Higgs field, whereas I was under the impression that the Standard Model didn't need the Higgs...
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