Giving mass to other particles?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the role of the Higgs boson and Higgs field in providing mass to particles, particularly in the context of the early universe and the implications for conservation laws. Participants explore theoretical aspects of mass generation, the nature of the Higgs boson, and its relationship to forces in physics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that the Higgs boson is responsible for giving mass to particles that initially have none, questioning whether this violates conservation laws or if the laws of physics were different at the beginning of time.
  • Others clarify that particles gain mass through spontaneous symmetry breaking involving the Higgs field, not directly from the Higgs boson itself.
  • There is a discussion about the nature of the Higgs field as a Lorentz scalar and how it differs from force-carrying bosons, which originate from Lorentz vector fields.
  • Some participants challenge the claims made about the mass of the Higgs boson and the sources of information regarding its properties.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between the Higgs boson and mass generation, with some asserting that the Higgs field is the key mechanism, while others emphasize the role of the Higgs boson itself. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications for conservation laws and the nature of forces associated with the Higgs.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the definitions of mass, the specifics of spontaneous symmetry breaking, and the implications of the Higgs mechanism, which are not fully explored or agreed upon.

Xforce
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TL;DR
They say at the Big Bang all the particles does not have mass. It’s the Higgs Bosons give them mass...
Higgs bosons are very heavy particles (probably 1000 times heavier than a protons) and very unstable. Now we can create them in particle accelerators like LHC, like countless of other particles.
But wait. This one can give mass to particles without mass, does this violate the conservation of mass or energy? Or the laws of physics is different at the beginning of time? Also I heard a Boson particle is the one usually carries a force (like gravity, electromagnetic forces and nuclear force). If Higgs boson was a boson, what kind of force does it carry? And what makes it capable of bringing mass? Does this process still work in the universe now (like giving mass to photons)?
 
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Xforce said:
Summary: They say at the Big Bang all the particles does not have mass. It’s the Higgs Bosons give them mass...

This one can give mass to particles without mass, does this violate the conservation of mass or energy? Or the laws of physics is different at the beginning of time?

The laws of physics were the same back then as they are now. Strictly speaking none of the particles in the SM are massive in the traditional sense (dirac mass, quadratic scalar mass), it's only when you take the weak field limit in the Higgs doublet that you get terms that look like mass terms.

Xforce said:
Summary: They say at the Big Bang all the particles does not have mass. It’s the Higgs Bosons give them mass...

If Higgs boson was a boson, what kind of force does it carry? And what makes it capable of bringing mass? Does this process still work in the universe now (like giving mass to photons)?

The "force" bosons originate from lorentz vector fields while the higgs comes from a lorentz scalar (technically a lorentz doublet under ##SU(2)_L##), this makes a world of difference as the higgs field doesn't implement a local gauge symmetry like the vector bosons do. In a sense I guess you could consider the higgs to be a "force" in the sense that it can mediate interactions.
 
Xforce said:
It’s the Higgs Bosons give them mass...

Higgs field, not the boson itself.
 
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Xforce said:
They say

Who says?
Xforce said:
Higgs bosons are very heavy particles (probably 1000 times heavier than a protons)

Where did you read this?

Xforce said:
Also I heard

Where?
 
Xforce said:
Summary: They say at the Big Bang all the particles does not have mass. It’s the Higgs Bosons give them mass...

No, that's not what "they" say.

Particles gain mass in the Standard Model via spontaneous symmetry breaking, which involves the Higgs field. The Higgs boson that was observed in the LHC is what is left over from the Higgs field after the spontaneous symmetry breaking and the gaining of mass by other particles. The observed mass of the Higgs boson is therefore separate from and not connected to the masses of the other particles.
 
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