Higgs Boson.......

[d9f1c7]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...-environment-17269647
OK so the particle that, in theory, gives everything else mass also has mass, around 125GEV, so does it also give itself mass or, once discovered, are we then looking for the Higgs Higgs, and after the that the Higgs Higgs Higgs? Well you get the picture!

[Old_Geezer]

I don't think that the idea is the Higgs 'magics up' mass in something else, but that it would consitute a part of that something else, so it is seen to have the Higgs mass as it's own.

But I could be mistaken.

[Zeuhl]

Well considering all the relevant factors in that ....






... Nope. Nothing.

[beso]

Sorry Old_Geezer you are way off the track there

If the Higgs was part of other particles then they would all be much heaver than they are. The Higgs is proposed as the vector boson that mediates the interaction of the Higgs field and matter.

This is analogous to the way the photon mediates charge among charged particles within the electromagnetic field.

[jake-the-peg]

Beso is correct but perhaps I can put some flesh on the bones.

In modern field theory we dont like what Einstein called "spooky action at a distance" the force is carried by particles.

The electromagnetic force by electrons, the Strong force by Gluons and we'd expect there to be gravitons.

The catch is that these are virtual when they carry force meaning we can't see them doing it.

We can however create them if we bang particles together hard enough. Thats how the W and Z particles that carriy the Weak force were found.

So the Higgs particle doesn't give things mass the Higgs field does and the particle carries the field.

So where does the Higgs particle get its mass from?

Well whereas photons don't feel the electromagnetic field, gluons do feel the strong force. They interact with each other and we think even clump together in "Glueballs"

(No I'm not kidding)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glueball

Similarly Higgs particles would feel the Higgs field which gives them mass.

However this might still all be wrong - the Higgs might not exist. Although it's looking more like it does all the time it wouldn't amaze me if it didn't.

There are some issues with it and it would be dull if later this year they just said "yep there it is as predicted"

[beso]

jake made one small error though I am sure it was a mental glitch since he states it correctly further down.

The electromagnetic force is mediated by photons.

BTW Both the Electromagnetic force and the weak force are manifestations of the same underlying "Electroweak Force". These are unified at high energy levels but appear to be separate at lower energies.

[jake-the-peg]

oh heck so I did!

Yes I don't think electrons would work very well would they?

[Old_Geezer]

Ah so it was magic all the time ;-)

[Old_Geezer]

So what is mass ? I know it when it hits me, I can feel weight when I carry things around, but as to what it actually is as opposed to how we know it is there and what it is involved in doing, I'm unsure I have a clear picture.

[beso]

What is mass is really one of the big questions. We know how it interacts with other mass, we know how it responds to forces and we know it is equivalent to energy by the ratio of Einstein's famous equation.

But just what it is? Well it is "mass".

[maggiebee]

Have I landed on Mars - don't understand a bloody word!

[Old_Geezer]

Welcome to the Twilight Zone.

"Similarly Higgs particles would feel the Higgs field which gives them mass."

Ok, so smashing stuff together can turn a virtual particle into a real one, and presumably at the same time a real field turns into a virtual one ?
So whilst those particles that seem to have mass get it from dragging their feet in a real field, the Higgs boson does so from its own virtual field ?

How come not all particles pick up this mass then ?

Any recent good popular science books around to cover this, that are worth a recommendation ? (Not that I don't have piles of unread books around already.)