fr en es pt
Astronomy
Asteroids and Comets Black Holes Children Chemical Elements Constellations Earth Eclipses Environment Equations Evolution Exoplanets Galaxies Light Matter Moons Nebulas Planets and Dwarf Planets Probes and Telescopes Scientists Stars Sun Universe Volcanoes Zodiac New Articles Shorts Archives
Contact the author
RSS astronoo
Follow me on Bluesky
Follow me on Pinterest
English
Français
Español
Português
 


Last updated June 2, 2025

The Higgs Boson: The Unification of Fundamental Forces

Illustration of the Higgs boson in the quantum vacuum

The Standard Model of Particle Physics

The Standard Model is the quantum theory that describes all known elementary particles and their fundamental interactions (except gravity). It is based on the gauge symmetry \(\text{SU(3)}_C \times \text{SU(2)}_L \times \text{U(1)}_Y\), where each factor corresponds to an interaction: the strong interaction, the weak interaction, and electromagnetism.

It includes:

This highly predictive theoretical framework has been confirmed by thousands of experiments since the 1970s. However, it does not include gravity, dark matter, or dark energy, and therefore needs to be extended. The Higgs field is an essential ingredient in this coherent construction, as it allows fermions and \(W\)/\(Z\) bosons to acquire mass.

Gauge Fields: Foundations of Fundamental Interactions

The concept of a gauge field is central to modern particle physics. It arises from a principle of local symmetry: the idea that physical laws must remain invariant under certain local transformations. This principle naturally imposes the existence of mediating fields to ensure the coherence of the theory.

Specifically, when we impose a local invariance (for example, under the U(1) transformation for electromagnetism), the mathematical formalism forces us to introduce a new field, called a gauge field. This field compensates for local variations and physically translates into a force:

These fields are described by non-Abelian gauge theories (for SU(2) and SU(3)), where the gauge fields also interact with each other. The formalism is expressed using curvature tensors (or field tensors), gauge connections, and invariant Lagrangians, as in the famous Yang-Mills formula.

Without these gauge fields, it would be impossible to formulate a coherent theory of interactions. But all these fields presuppose that the associated particles are massless, which poses a problem for the weak interaction. This is where the Higgs field comes in, the only one capable of generating mass without breaking the fundamental internal symmetries.

The Higgs Mechanism: Why Particles Have Mass

Why particles have mass

The Higgs boson is the quantum manifestation of a fundamental field called the Higgs field. This field, omnipresent in the Universe, interacts with elementary particles via a mechanism discovered in the 1960s by several physicists, including Peter Higgs. Unlike other fundamental forces, it is not a particle but a scalar field that is responsible for the mass of particles. When a particle passes through this field, it undergoes a form of "resistance," similar to quantum viscosity, which gives it its mass.

In the language of the Standard Model, this interaction is mathematically translated by a spontaneous breaking of electroweak symmetry. This allows the \(W^{\pm}\) boson and the \(Z^0\) boson to have mass, while leaving the photon massless. This asymmetry observed in nature—some particles having mass, others not—directly results from the coupling of these particles to the Higgs field.

The Discovery of the Higgs Boson at the LHC

On July 4, 2012, the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN announced the detection of a new particle, consistent with the Higgs boson. This discovery represents the culmination of nearly half a century of theoretical and experimental research. The boson was observed via its decay modes: mainly into two photons (\(H \rightarrow \gamma\gamma\)) or into pairs of \(Z\) or \(W\) bosons, at a mass of about 125 GeV/\(c^2\).

This discovery confirms that the Higgs field indeed exists, thus validating the proposed mechanism to explain the generation of masses. However, this confirmation also opens new fundamental questions: why is the Higgs boson so light? Is the Higgs field linked to deeper physics such as supersymmetry or extra dimensions?

A Fundamental Role in the Standard Model

In the Standard Model of particle physics, all interactions (electromagnetic, weak, strong) are described by gauge fields. Without the Higgs field, all gauge particles would be massless, and the coherence of the model would be broken. The presence of the Higgs field preserves the renormalizability of the model while explaining the diversity of masses observed in nature.

The Higgs boson is literally the "keystone" of the Standard Model: without it, the equations lose their predictive power. Nevertheless, the Standard Model does not describe everything. It ignores gravity, dark matter, and dark energy. It remains incomplete, and the Higgs boson could be a gateway to physics beyond the Standard Model.

Articles on the same theme

The Higgs Boson: The Unification of Fundamental Forces The Higgs Boson: The Unification of Fundamental Forces
Quantum Entanglement: When Two Particles Become One! Quantum Entanglement: When Two Particles Become One!
The Pentaquark: A New Piece of the Cosmic Puzzle! The Pentaquark: A New Piece of the Cosmic Puzzle!
Why are Rare Gases rare? Why are Rare Gases rare?
Brownian Motion: A Link Between Two Worlds Brownian Motion: A Link Between Two Worlds
The 4 Articles of Albert Einstein from 1905 The 4 Articles of Albert Einstein from 1905
Why does nuclear fusion require so much energy? Why does nuclear fusion require so much energy?
Feynman diagrams and particle physics Feynman diagrams and particle physics
The nuclear instability barrier Stars cannot create elements heavier than iron because of the nuclear instability barrier
What is β radioactivity? What is β radioactivity?
Planck wall theory Planck wall theory
Is emptiness really empty? Is emptiness really empty?
The Large Hadron Collider The Large Hadron Collider
The hadron is not a fixed object The hadron is not a fixed object
Radioactivity, natural and artificial Radioactivity, natural and artificial
The World of Nanoparticles: An Invisible Revolution The World of Nanoparticles: An Invisible Revolution
Schrodinger's Cat Schrodinger's Cat
Before the big bang the multiverse Before the big bang the multiverse
Eternal inflation Eternal inflation
Gravitational waves Gravitational waves
What is a wave? What is a wave?
The fields of reality: what is a field? The fields of reality: what is a field?
Space in time Space in time
Quantum computers Quantum computers
Bose-Einstein condensate Bose-Einstein condensate
Equation of Newton's three laws Equation of Newton's three laws
Field concept in physics Field concept in physics
The electron, a kind of electrical point The electron, a kind of electrical point
Entropy and disorder Entropy and disorder
Light, all the light of the spectrum Light, all the light of the spectrum
The infernal journey of the photon The infernal journey of the photon
Mystery of the Big Bang, the problem of the horizon Mystery of the Big Bang, the problem of the horizon
The neutrino and beta radioactivity The neutrino and beta radioactivity
Einstein's space time Einstein's space time
Time Measurement: Scientific and Technological Challenge Time Measurement: Scientific and Technological Challenge
Physical and Cosmological Constants: Universal Numbers at the Origin of Everything Physical and Cosmological Constants: Universal Numbers at the Origin of Everything
Spectroscopy, an inexhaustible source of information Spectroscopy, an inexhaustible source of information
Abundance of chemical elements in the universe Abundance of chemical elements in the universe
The size of atoms The size of atoms
The magnetic order and magnetization The magnetic order and magnetization
The quark confinement The quark confinement
Superpositions of quantum states Superpositions of quantum states
Alpha decay (α) Alpha decay (α)
Electromagnetic induction equation Electromagnetic induction equation
Nuclear fusion, natural energy source Nuclear fusion, natural energy source
Does dark matter exist? Does dark matter exist?
Non-baryonic matter Non-baryonic matter
From the Ancient Atom to the Modern Atom: An Exploration of Atomic Models From the Ancient Atom to the Modern Atom: An Exploration of Atomic Models
The mystery of matter, where mass comes from The mystery of matter, where mass comes from
Nuclear energy and uranium Nuclear energy and uranium
The Universe of X-rays The Universe of X-rays
How many photons to heat a coffee? How many photons to heat a coffee?
Seeing Atoms: An Exploration of Atomic Structure Seeing Atoms: An Exploration of Atomic Structure
Quantum tunneling of quantum mechanics Quantum tunneling of quantum mechanics
Entropy: What is Time? Entropy: What is Time?
The 12 Particles of Matter: Understanding the Universe at the Subatomic Scale The 12 Particles of Matter: Understanding the Universe at the Subatomic Scale
The Atomic Orbital: Image of the Atom The Atomic Orbital: Image of the Atom
Earth's radioactivity Earth's radioactivity
The vacuum has considerable energy The vacuum has considerable energy
The valley of stability of atomic nuclei The valley of stability of atomic nuclei
Antimatter and antiparticle Antimatter and antiparticle
What is an electric charge? What is an electric charge?
Our matter is not quantum! Our matter is not quantum!
Why use hydrogen in the fuel cell? Why use hydrogen in the fuel cell?
The secrets of gravity The secrets of gravity
E=mc2 explains the mass of the proton E=mc2 explains the mass of the proton
Image of gravity since Albert Einstein Image of gravity since Albert Einstein
Einstein's miraculous year: 1905 Einstein's miraculous year: 1905
What does the equation E=mc2 really mean? What does the equation E=mc2 really mean?
Special relativity and space and time Special relativity and space and time
Between Waves and Particles: The Mystery of DualityBetween Waves and Particles: The Mystery of Duality

1997 © Astronoo.com − Astronomy, Astrophysics, Evolution and Ecology.
"The data available on this site may be used provided that the source is duly acknowledged."
Contact −  Legal mentions −  English Sitemap −  Full Sitemap −  How Google uses data