The Higgs boson is an undiscovered elementary particle, thought to be a vital piece of the closely fitting jigsaw of particle physics. Like all particles, it has wave properties akin to those ripples on the surface of a pond which has been disturbed; indeed, only when the ripples travel as a well defined group is it sensible to speak of a particle at all. In quantum language the analogue of the water surface which carries the waves is called a field. Each type of particle has its own corresponding field. The Higgs field is a particularly simple one -- it has the same properties viewed from every direction, and in important respects in indistinguishable from empty space. Thus physicists conceive of the Higgs field being switched on , pervading all of space and endowing it with grain like that of a plank of wood. The direction of the grain in undetectable, and only becomes important once the Higgs' interactions with other particles are taken into account. for instance, particles call vector bosons can travel with the grain, in which case they move easily for large distances and may be observed as photons - that is, particles of light that we can see or record using a camera; or against, in which case their effective range is much shorter, and we call them W or Z particles. These play a central role in the physics of nuclear reactions, such as those occurring in the core of the sun. The Higgs field enables us to view these apparently unrelated phenomenon as two sides of the same coin; both may be described in terms of the properties of the same vector bosons. When particles of matter such as electrons or quarks (elementary constituents of protons and neutrons, which in turn constitute the atomic nucleus) travel through the grain, they are constantly flipped head-over-heels . this forces them to move more slowly than their natural speed, that of light, by making them heavy.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
NOVA Science Publishers Inc
ISBN-13
9781594548611
eBay Product ID (ePID)
95097952
Product Key Features
Author
John V Lee
Publication Name
Search for the Higgs Boson
Format
Hardcover
Language
English
Subject
Physics
Publication Year
2006
Type
Textbook
Number of Pages
143 Pages
Dimensions
Item Height
180mm
Item Width
260mm
Item Weight
550g
Additional Product Features
Country/Region of Manufacture
United States
Editor
John V Lee
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