Why is the Higgs field important?
The Higgs boson is the fundamental particle associated with the Higgs field, a field that gives mass to other fundamental particles such as electrons and quarks. A particle’s mass determines how much it resists changing its speed or position when it encounters a force. Not all fundamental particles have mass.
Does the Higgs field give mass?
The Higgs field gives mass to fundamental particles—the electrons, quarks and other building blocks that cannot be broken into smaller parts. The energy of this interaction between quarks and gluons is what gives protons and neutrons their mass.
How does Higgs field work?
The Higgs boson does not technically give other particles mass. More precisely, the particle is a quantized manifestation of a field (the Higgs field) that generates mass through its interaction with other particles. These fields can be divided into matter fields (whose particles are electrons, quarks, etc.)
What if we don’t see the Higgs particle?
Physicists are only looking for the Higgs particle because it is the easiest way to access the field. If they don’t see it, then it suggests the field is different from the one predicted by the standard model. Normally, particles in fields are like ripples in ponds – photons are ripples in the electromagnetic field, for example.
Is the Higgs field ‘poor’?
“The poor Higgs field labors in obscurity, protecting the universe from catastrophe but getting none of its deserved credit,” Strassler writes in his blog. Physicists are only looking for the Higgs particle because it is the easiest way to access the field.
What if there’s no Higgs boson?
“You can’t get the situation where there’s no Higgs particle there unless you add something else,” Strassler told New Scientist. What about more exotic possibilities? The existence of a new force, called technicolour, could also give particles mass without the need for a Higgs boson.
What is the Higgs and how is it produced?
The Higgs may be produced fleetingly when particles smash into each other at high speeds, and for years physicists have been looking for evidence of it at various particle colliders.