Discovering the 4 Types of Interactions & Fields in Particle Physics

  • Thread starter San K
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Fields
In summary, Per the standard model, we currently have four kinds of interactions - electromagnetic, weak, and strong nuclear interactions & gravity (?). These are described using mathematical structures known as fields, which assign values at each point in space-time. There is currently no successful quantization of gravity, but the discovery of the Higgs boson has important consequences for theories of quantum gravity. The Higgs mechanism allows for the existence of massive particles without breaking gauge invariance, but does not directly explain the origin of mass. It is a mathematical construct that is used to model the interaction between particles and space-time.
  • #1
San K
911
1
Per the standard model, we currently have four kinds of interactions -
electromagnetic, weak, and strong nuclear interactions & gravity (?)

What are fields? How many of them are known?

For gravity, we need a mass to create a field and it does not pervade all of time-space (?)...i.e. it effects reduced with distance from the mass.
So mass is the source for creating the bend/gravity in time-space.

What about Higg's field? what is the source?

Moderator: I just realized, after posting, that this topic falls in particle physics as well.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
San K said:
Per the standard model, we currently have four kinds of interactions -
electromagnetic, weak, and strong nuclear interactions & gravity (?)
That would be correct - iirc there are several models that attempt to unify up to three of them. Unifying the lot of them is something of a holy grail.
What are fields? How many of them are known?
Mathematical structures in field theory :) in the standard model, associated with a virtual particle
There is one for each fundamental interaction ... which would depend on the model in use. From above: four.
GR - gravity - has yet to be quantized ... which is one reason why the Higgs boson stuff is exciting people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_field#Quantum_fields
For gravity, we need a mass to create a field and it does not pervade all of time-space (?)...i.e. it effects reduced with distance from the mass.
So mass is the source for creating the bend/gravity in time-space.
That is an interesting question which the recent Higgs Boson work is hoping to help with. As it stands - yes, we understand gravity in terms of a classical field described by general relativity.
What about Higg's field? what is the source?
It is a mathematical construct within field theory which gives rise to the higgs boson and imparts mass to matter. The field itself is part of the nature of the Universe: the source is space-time itself... more accurately: it is a mathematical structure that we can use as a model in relation to space-time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgs_field

See:
 
Last edited:
  • #3
San K said:
Per the standard model, we currently have four kinds of interactions -
electromagnetic, weak, and strong nuclear interactions & gravity (?)
The standard model describes three of the four forces, so all of them except gravity. Furthermore the electromagnetic and the weak interactions have been unified in a single framework, the electroweak interaction. Gravity has not been successfully quantized.

San K said:
What are fields? How many of them are known?
Electromagnetic fields you have surely heard of, as described by Maxwell's equations. A field is something which has a value at each point in spacetime. A vector field assigns a vector to each point, a scalar field assigns a scalar (i.e. a number) to each point. Quantum fields are what you get when you quantize a classical field, and the quanta of the fields are particles associated with that particular field. In the standard model each particle is associated with a field.

@Simon Bridge: Why do you talk about the Higgs as interesting for quantum gravity? As far as I know there is no such link, and this just creates confusion. If you know something about this please provide a source.
 
  • #4
@Simon Bridge: Why do you talk about the Higgs as interesting for quantum gravity? As far as I know there is no such link, and this just creates confusion. If you know something about this please provide a source.
You think it is less confusing to say that the particle responsible for mass has no link to gravity? You don't think that discovery of the Higgs boson has important consequences for the various approaches towards quantizing gravity? All those higgs-less methods are in trouble aren't they?

OK - the standard model does not have much to say about quantum gravity - the energy densities we have to work with are too small. I think this is the main area for misunderstanding - that you have to have mass to bend space-time. You need energy and lots of it ... the LHC is too puny to tell us anything directly about gravity. Doesn't mean it cannot tell us something indirectly - eg. http://vixra.org/pdf/1003.0202v1.pdf
... (loosly) attempts to reconcile the hierarchy problem with the Higgs mass by proposing a TeV scale quantum gravity.
Confirmation of the Higgs boson must, at the least, lend more weight to papers, like this one, that account for the Higgs mechanism in some way?

I don't mean to imply that the higgs boson is a quantum of gravity. But it is going to be important to theories of quantum gravity.
 
  • #5
You don't think that discovery of the Higgs boson has important consequences for the various approaches towards quantizing gravity?
I think the Higgs boson has nothing at all to do with quantum gravity except in the minds of a few crackpots. The paper you cited, as with all papers posted to viXra, has not been not peer-reviewed, and as such falls outside of the PF guidelines.
 
  • #6
Simon Bridge said:
You think it is less confusing to say that the particle responsible for mass has no link to gravity? You don't think that discovery of the Higgs boson has important consequences for the various approaches towards quantizing gravity? All those higgs-less methods are in trouble aren't they?
I think it is confusing to mix the Higgs with gravity, yes. The Higgs mechanism is a way of allowing massive fermions and weak gauge bosons without spoiling gauge invariance. It has no direct link to gravity as we describe it. For example ~99% of the proton mass is explained by other means than the Higgs. And actually I think it is misleading to say that the Higgs mechanism "explains" mass or that it is "responsible" for mass. Rather, it permits mass of weakly interacting particles. Where the coupling responsible for the mass value comes from is not given in the mechanism. Maybe quantum gravity can explain why elementary particles have the masses they do but I don't see how this connects do the Higgs mechanism. A discovery of the Higgs would be a triumph for the SM but not really for quantum gravity.

I don't see the relevance of higgsless models and if they are in trouble or not.

Laymen are obviously confused by this and many naively think that just because the Higgs mechanism has something to do with mass it must be intimately related to gravity. See e.g. these threads in the Particle Physics forum:
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=618970
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=618507

Simon Bridge said:
OK - the standard model does not have much to say about quantum gravity - the energy densities we have to work with are too small. I think this is the main area for misunderstanding - that you have to have mass to bend space-time. You need energy and lots of it ... the LHC is too puny to tell us anything directly about gravity. Doesn't mean it cannot tell us something indirectly - eg. http://vixra.org/pdf/1003.0202v1.pdf
... (loosly) attempts to reconcile the hierarchy problem with the Higgs mass by proposing a TeV scale quantum gravity.
Confirmation of the Higgs boson must, at the least, lend more weight to papers, like this one, that account for the Higgs mechanism in some way?

I don't mean to imply that the higgs boson is a quantum of gravity. But it is going to be important to theories of quantum gravity.

Well... it is not like that's the only paper that account for the Higgs mechanism in some way. The mechanism has been a part of the SM for many many years now and seen as the main alternative for giving mass to the W and the Z. And if you want to find a reference connecting the Higgs and quantum gravity, can you provide me with some paper that has been published in a peer-reviewed journal? That paper seems to have been cited one time only and is filled with speculations and conjectures.
 
  • #7
Laymen are obviously confused by this and many naively think that just because the Higgs mechanism has something to do with mass it must be intimately related to gravity.
I agree - I disagree that it is less confusing to the layman to fail to mention any connection at all. I'll allow that I need to be more careful with my statements than I was ...
if you want to find a reference connecting the Higgs and quantum gravity, can you provide me with some paper that has been published in a peer-reviewed journal?
Fair enough ... I have seen viXra papers cited here before though - probably due to being accessible. A quick trawl produces:

Percacci P: The Higgs phenomenon in quantum gravity; Nuclear Physics B; Volume 353, Issue 1, 8 April 1991, Pages 271–290
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0550-3213(91)90510-5 [Broken]

El Naschie. M. L. Supersymmetry, transfinite neural networks, hyperbolic manifolds, quantumgravity and the Higgs; Chaos, Solitons & Fractals; Volume 22, Issue 5, December 2004, Pages 999–1006
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chaos.2004.03.030 [Broken]

Hasegawaa, K. et al. An attempt to solve the hierarchy problem based on gravity-gauge-Higgs unification scenario; Physics Letters B, Volume 604, Issues 1–2, 16 December 2004, Pages 133–143
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2004.10.038 [Broken]

Bezrukova, F. & Shaposhnikova, M. The Standard Model Higgs boson as the inflaton, Physics Letters B, Volume 659, Issue 3, 24 January 2008, Pages 703–706
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2007.11.072 [Broken]

Shaposhnikova, M. & Wetterichb, C. Asymptotic safety of gravity and the Higgs boson mass Physics Letters B, Volume 683, Issues 2–3, 18 January 2010, Pages 196–200
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2009.12.022 [Broken]

I'd rather have more recent ones...

Bezrukova, F. & Gorbunovd, D. S. Distinguishing between R2-inflation and Higgs-inflation; Physics Letters B, Volume 713, Issues 4–5, 18 July 2012, Pages 365–368
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2012.06.040 [Broken]
... but I thought inflation could not be the Higgs field?!

... anyway - perhaps there is a better way of describing all this activity which certainly appears to be trying to connect Higgs field with gravity in different ways.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

1. What are the 4 types of interactions in particle physics?

The 4 types of interactions in particle physics are gravity, electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force. These interactions are responsible for the fundamental forces that govern the behavior of particles.

2. How do these interactions differ from each other?

The interactions differ in terms of their strength, range, and the types of particles they act upon. Gravity is the weakest and has an infinite range, while electromagnetism is stronger and has an infinite range. Strong nuclear force is the strongest and has a very short range, and weak nuclear force is the second weakest and has a short range.

3. How do these interactions manifest in the physical world?

Gravity is responsible for the attraction between massive objects, such as planets and stars. Electromagnetism is responsible for the forces between charged particles, such as atoms and molecules. Strong nuclear force holds the nucleus of an atom together, while weak nuclear force is responsible for certain types of radioactive decay.

4. Are these interactions related to each other?

Yes, these interactions are related through the fundamental forces of nature. They are also described by the Standard Model of particle physics, which explains how these interactions work and how particles interact with each other.

5. How do scientists study these interactions?

Scientists study these interactions through experiments using particle accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider. They also use mathematical models and theories to understand the behavior of particles and their interactions. Collaborations between scientists from different fields, such as physics and mathematics, are also crucial in understanding these complex interactions.

Similar threads

  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
2
Views
943
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
6
Views
766
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
11
Views
1K
Back
Top