What Happens When a Street Urchin Walks Into the Higgs Boson Analogy?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around an analogy used to explain the Higgs boson and its interaction with particles to produce mass. Participants explore the implications of this analogy, particularly focusing on the idea of varying interactions with the Higgs field, and whether some particles might be rejected or repulsed by it.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant introduces an analogy comparing particles to individuals at a party, suggesting that high-status individuals (high mass) interact more with the Higgs field, while low-status individuals (low mass) interact less.
  • The same participant questions whether some particles, like a "street urchin," could be rejected by the Higgs field, proposing that there might be a mechanism (like a waiter or bouncer) that enforces this rejection.
  • Another participant challenges the initial claim that all particles interact with the Higgs field, noting that photons have zero mass and do not interact with it.
  • The first participant speculates about a potential link between the rejection by the Higgs field and concepts of anti or dark matter, suggesting these might have undefined or negative mass.
  • A later reply points out that the analogy may be inaccurate, particularly regarding the nature of interactions with the Higgs field, which are not dissipative as described.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the accuracy of the Higgs boson analogy and whether all particles interact with the Higgs field. There is no consensus on the implications of the analogy or the nature of particles that might be rejected by the Higgs field.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the nature of interactions with the Higgs field remain unresolved, particularly regarding the distinction between dissipative and non-dissipative interactions. The discussion also touches on the complexities of mass and the behavior of different types of matter.

Sebastien
Messages
1
Reaction score
2
i was thinking about the Higgs Boson analogy that was put forward to help describe how it works/interacts to produce mass, of a very famous person walking into a party, everyone gathers round impedes progress, high interaction with Higgs field and particles therefore high mass, and then a less famous person walks through the same party fewer people come to talk to him, less impediment to his journey, low interaction with Higgs field and particles therefore low mass. What happens if a street urchin walks into the analogy, everyone at the party immediately shuns him and ignores him trying to pretend he's not there and eventually a waiter will come up to him to 'show him the door' ie the urchin gets rejected by the Higgs field and particles. But on most high status dinner functions there are bouncers on the door to stop such intrusions ie the urchin get repulsed from the Higgs field similar a electrostatic repulsion

All particles interact with the Higgs field and particles varying amounts leading the various mass of everything through the Universe, but surely some particles or matter will be rejected or repulsed by the Higgs field or particles?

if so is it the waiter or the bouncer that does the rejecting? and what is the waiter/bouncer?

and also one final point is there a possible link between this and anti or dark matter, matter that gets rejected by Higgs and has an either an undefined mass or a negative mass

ps I am not sure what the prefix of this should be so i just picked the middle one
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: SabyasachiSadhu and Shikhar Kothari
Physics news on Phys.org
phd040704s.gif
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: vanhees71 and Nugatory
Sebastien said:
i was thinking about the Higgs Boson analogy that was put forward to help describe how it works/interacts to produce mass, of a very famous person walking into a party, everyone gathers round impedes progress, high interaction with Higgs field and particles therefore high mass, and then a less famous person walks through the same party fewer people come to talk to him, less impediment to his journey, low interaction with Higgs field and particles therefore low mass. What happens if a street urchin walks into the analogy, everyone at the party immediately shuns him and ignores him trying to pretend he's not there and eventually a waiter will come up to him to 'show him the door' ie the urchin gets rejected by the Higgs field and particles. But on most high status dinner functions there are bouncers on the door to stop such intrusions ie the urchin get repulsed from the Higgs field similar a electrostatic repulsion

All particles interact with the Higgs field and particles varying amounts leading the various mass of everything through the Universe, but surely some particles or matter will be rejected or repulsed by the Higgs field or particles?

if so is it the waiter or the bouncer that does the rejecting? and what is the waiter/bouncer?

and also one final point is there a possible link between this and anti or dark matter, matter that gets rejected by Higgs and has an either an undefined mass or a negative mass

ps I am not sure what the prefix of this should be so i just picked the middle one

Maybe you might want to start by reading some of the misconception about the Higgs, especially on "...All particles interact with the Higgs field and particles varying amounts leading the various mass of everything... " :

http://today.duke.edu/2012/11/higgsmisconceptions

In addition, while that analogy is often used, it is also rather inaccurate. The type of interaction that you described, i.e. something bouncing or interacting like that, is a dissipative interaction, i.e. it loses energy without any external agent. This is not true for the Higgs field.

Zz.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: vanhees71 and Sebastien
If not already stated, to answer the first question, photons for example has zero mass meaning it either doesn't interact or get influenced by the Higgs Field. Down below it provides a quick link to a video about the Higgs boson.

 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
7K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
4K
  • · Replies 29 ·
Replies
29
Views
6K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 30 ·
2
Replies
30
Views
6K
  • · Replies 27 ·
Replies
27
Views
7K