# Higgs Boson and acceleration

## Main Question or Discussion Point

I was thinking, because of the relationship between energy and mass and the mathematics, would it (theoretically speaking, of course) be possible to accelerate the Higgs Boson to the speed of light, reducing its mass value to 0 and converting that mass into energy? I was also wondering if this were accomplished, would we get something very similar to a photon?

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Drakkith
Staff Emeritus
No, the higgs boson has mass and it is not possible to reduce it to 0 and accelerate it to c.

I was under the impression that all mass excluding rest mass was relative. All the equations I've ever seen or solved show that, as c is approached, the value of mass decreases until c is reached, when m=0 and E=∞, and therefore all mass seems to be converted to energy whenever the speed of light is reached. This is how I see it, and it seems to explain why light has no rest mass and never stops. If it stops, it would either: a.) cease to exist or b.) become something material. I don't know exactly how b would happen, but it is a theoretical possibility from the equations I have used. (If you're wondering, I was using Einstein's equations of total energy and relativistic momentum).

Drakkith
Staff Emeritus
I was under the impression that all mass excluding rest mass was relative.
Whenever anyone talks about mass in a serious way they pretty much always mean "rest mass". As such, the mass of an object does not change no matter how fast it's going. It's total energy and momentum will continue to increase without bound. Now, before you try to tell me that according to relativity the mass will to because of E=MC2, realize that the equation in that form is only partially complete and that in its complete form any extra energy in the form of kinetic energy or whatever is taken into account in a different term.

All the equations I've ever seen or solved show that, as c is approached, the value of mass decreases until c is reached, when m=0 and E=∞, and therefore all mass seems to be converted to energy whenever the speed of light is reached.
I don't what equations you are using, but either they are wrong or your understanding of how to use them is. E increases without bounds as velocity increases. C is NEVER reached. You cannot do it. Attempting to insert the value of c as the velocity is WRONG and the equation isn't designed for that. It's like trying to divide by zero. It's just not going to work.

This is how I see it, and it seems to explain why light has no rest mass and never stops. If it stops, it would either: a.) cease to exist or b.) become something material. I don't know exactly how b would happen, but it is a theoretical possibility from the equations I have used. (If you're wondering, I was using Einstein's equations of total energy and relativistic momentum).
No, it is not theoretically possible. You are using the math incorrectly and trying to extract something about reality from it that is not true.

Ok, now I think I see what I am doing wrong. But I wasn't using the rest energy formula as something other than something to compare to. I was using total relativistic energy, which is E=mc²/√1-(v²/c²). Nevertheless, as stated above, I can see a potential error. I was keeping the value of E at a constant number that I picked at random (56) and was finding the value of m based on varying values of v. When I compared the values of m between E=mc² and E=mc²/√1-(v²/c²), the values were slightly different. With the rest energy formula, m=6.22 repeating, whereas with the total energy formula I was getting something usually about 0.00000000001 smaller. Its not much of a reduction, but I have a feeling I'm doing something wrong by keeping E at a constant number.

Drakkith
Staff Emeritus
Yes, I don't know why you are keeping E a constant number. Instead, keep M constant and increase velocity.

Ok, I'm glad we cleared that up. Keeping E constant was a mistake. But I have one last question that I have just thought of: Because I know that the value of E approaches infinity as c is approached, and now that I know that keeping E at a constant is the wrong thing to do: The mass of an object is not decreasing, but the energy being derived from that amount is increasing when v increases. Thus, energy is acting as if the mass of the object is increasing, when in actuality in proportion the mass is decreasing, right? Or am I confused, because I think I might be, a little bit.

Drakkith
Staff Emeritus
Take the equation E=γMC2, with γ = $\frac{1}{\sqrt{1-V^{2}/C^{2}}}$