How can you visualize the Higgs field, or can you?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the visualization of the Higgs field and its relationship to relativity and Quantum Field Theory (QFT). Participants explore analogies, such as comparing the Higgs field to a bowl of honey, to explain how particles interact with it, affecting their mass. The Higgs field is noted for contributing to the universe's energy density, even in the absence of particles, termed "vacuum energy." Key distinctions are made between classical fields and quantum fields, emphasizing the unique characteristics of the Higgs field.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Quantum Field Theory (QFT)
  • Familiarity with the concept of vacuum energy
  • Knowledge of particle physics and the Standard Model
  • Basic grasp of relativity and spacetime concepts
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the properties of vacuum energy in quantum physics
  • Study the differences between classical fields and quantum fields
  • Explore visualization techniques for quantum fields
  • Learn about the implications of the Higgs field on particle mass
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, students of quantum mechanics, and anyone interested in the foundational concepts of particle physics and the Higgs field's role in the universe.

scientepid
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Just when I thought I had finally wrapped my brain around relativity, Quantum theory took off. Then the Higgs Boson was discovered. How does the Higgs field under-pin relativity, namely space-time?

How is the Higgs field distributed? Does it have curvature like space time, or is omnipresent?

Sorry for the simple questions, but I am still stuck on thinking about a bowling ball on a trampoline.
The best analogy I have found is that the Higgs field is like a bowl of honey, and particles pass through it. Some particles are more affected by the honey, and others are less affected, giving rise to the mass of the particles. This still leaves a lot of questions.
 
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How do you visualize an electronfield, or quarkfield, or photonfield, or whatever other field one has in the standard model?
 
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According to Quantum Field Theory (QFT), ALL particles have an associated field (as the haushofer pointed out)

What is so special about the Higgs Field is that it contributes to the energy density of the universe in the absence of particles. This is what is called the "vacuum energy". Even though the universe is empty on particles, it has energy from the Higgs field
 
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haushofer said:
How do you visualize an electronfield, or quarkfield, or photonfield, or whatever other field one has in the standard model?
Well, I know how to visualize a magnetic field, and I thought I knew how to visualize space time as a field, or mesh, or scalar shape, but when it comes to the higgs, is the field uniform and omnipresent, or does it have curvature and fluctuations; i.e. gravity waves?
 
but a magnetic field is not something you have in the standard model of particle physics. One can not compare classical fields with quantum fields.

what you are asking about is the Higgs-vacuum energy, not the Higgs field itself.
 

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