Is the Higgs field the substance that fills the universe?

[Simple10]

In particle language, the constant Higgs field is a superfluid of charged particles, and a charged superfluid is a superconductor. Inside a superconductor, the gauge electric and magnetic fields both become short-ranged, or massive.

This means that all of space is filled with the background Higgs field, the so-called Higgs condensate.

The Higgs mechanism can be considered as the superconductivity in the vacuum. It occurs when all of space is filled with a sea of particles which are charged, or in field language, when a charged field has a nonzero vacuum expectation value. Interaction with the quantum fluid filling the space prevents certain forces from propagating over long distances.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgs_mechanism

Since the proposed Higgs field is a quantum fluid filling all of space, what is it's relationship to gravity?
Is gravity the result of pressure created by the Higgs Quantum Fluid?

 

[Chalnoth]

Nope, it's something different altogether. Now, the Higgs field has an effect on the behavior gravity, in that interactions with the Higgs field are what give particles their masses. But gravity isn't "created" by the Higgs field: it would be around regardless.

 

[Rymer]

Nope, it's something different altogether. Now, the Higgs field has an effect on the behavior gravity, in that interactions with the Higgs field are what give particles their masses. But gravity isn't "created" by the Higgs field: it would be around regardless.

Chalnoth, just exactly what is your conceptual model of gravity and how it works?

 

[Chalnoth]

Chalnoth, just exactly what is your conceptual model of gravity and how it works?

Gravity, so far as we know, is the way that matter warps space-time, combined with how matter moves through warped space-time. The quantum-mechanical underpinnings of precisely how this operates are as yet uncertain, but some things are clear: gravity must be mediated by a massless spin-2 field. It must be massless (or nearly so) because gravity is a long-range force. It must be even-integer-spin because it is always attractive. A force based upon a spin-0 field would cause a different deflection of photons, so that's out. A force based upon a spin-2 massless field, however, replicates Einstein's equations (in some appropriate classical limit).

 

[Rymer]

Gravity, so far as we know, is the way that matter warps space-time, combined with how matter moves through warped space-time. The quantum-mechanical underpinnings of precisely how this operates are as yet uncertain, but some things are clear: gravity must be mediated by a massless spin-2 field. It must be massless (or nearly so) because gravity is a long-range force. It must be even-integer-spin because it is always attractive. A force based upon a spin-0 field would cause a different deflection of photons, so that's out. A force based upon a spin-2 massless field, however, replicates Einstein's equations (in some appropriate classical limit).

Why a space-time warp? How is that produced? What determines the strength and symmetry of the field? Is gravitational mass always equal to inertial?

What do you mean by a 'spin-2 field'?

 

[Chalnoth]

Why a space-time warp? How is that produced?

That would be through gravity.

What determines the strength and symmetry of the field?

Well, we don't know. But then, why are you singling out gravity here? This question can be asked of any of the four forces we know.

Is gravitational mass always equal to inertial?

It seems so. We have found no deviation so far.

What do you mean by a 'spin-2 field'?

The boson which is the quantum of the field is a spin-2 particle. If you don't know what that means, read up a bit on quantum-mechanical spin. Wikipedia is, as usual, a decent place to start (link here).