- #1
amenhotep
- 29
- 1
Hello,
I've been reading a book on particle physics for the general audience, and as you might expect, I was left with a slew of nagging unanswered questions.
There was a chapter on gauge symmetry where the author described that the weak and the EM forces are the same force at some energy (>80GeV) and said that it is because of a symmetry breaking that the two forces appear unconnected today as the temperature of the universe has gone down since the big bang. I was expecting to be told the reason why the scientists (Schwinger and Glashow) thought that these forces were once merged, but the author didn't provide the reason. I was left wondering why only the weak and the EM forces were thought to be the same and not the weak and gravitational forces, for instance.
I have no background in particle physics. I'm reading just out of curiosity and would appreciate if someone can tell me the clues the mentioned scientists had to assume that the two forces were once merged.
Thanks
I've been reading a book on particle physics for the general audience, and as you might expect, I was left with a slew of nagging unanswered questions.
There was a chapter on gauge symmetry where the author described that the weak and the EM forces are the same force at some energy (>80GeV) and said that it is because of a symmetry breaking that the two forces appear unconnected today as the temperature of the universe has gone down since the big bang. I was expecting to be told the reason why the scientists (Schwinger and Glashow) thought that these forces were once merged, but the author didn't provide the reason. I was left wondering why only the weak and the EM forces were thought to be the same and not the weak and gravitational forces, for instance.
I have no background in particle physics. I'm reading just out of curiosity and would appreciate if someone can tell me the clues the mentioned scientists had to assume that the two forces were once merged.
Thanks